Last Wish
by Hams
Summary: Based on a true story about life and death, love and friendship; one boy’s dream and another's wish. Meant to prove that, sometimes, love can conquer all. Yugi has cancer, and has a week to live. Is that enough time to fulfil his last wish? yy&br FINISHED
1. Default Chapter

            This fanfiction is based on a true story.  It's about life and death, love and friendship.  It is about one boy's dream, another's wish, and the miracle nobody can explain.  

I hope you like it.  Please don't give up reading after just the first paragraph.  It was meant to inspire people, to give hope, and most of all, to prove that, sometimes, love can conquer all.

Of course, this is only the introduction because if nobody is interested, then there is no reason for me to continue. 

As for the pairings, they are Yami/Yugi and Bakura/Ryou.  Not at first, but love is never sudden.  Love blossoms slowly, starting out as a tiny bud, then growing into a beautiful rose.

Please read and review.

-^^-

Yami got on the bus with his best friend, Bakura, running a hand through his flaxen bangs, trying to get rid of all the snow flakes that were lodged there.  He hated the snow.  It was always so wet and cold.  But, then again, Bakura liked the snow.  He'd never miss an opportunity to chuck a snow ball at some unsuspecting victim.

On the way to their seats, Bakura shoved a white-haired boy out of the way, growling menacingly. He hated it when people blocked his way.  

The white-haired boy, known as Ryou, gave a frightened squeak as Bakura passed.  He backed up, his large, brown eyes wide.  Nobody ever messed wth Bakura and lived.  But Bakura did not pick a fight.  Instead, he sat down next to Yami and began to engage in a aggressive conversation.  Sighing shakily, Ryou sat down next to his best friend, Yugi Motou.  It was a dreary Monday morning and already he wished for the weekend.

"So Yugi, how was your first foot ball game?"  He asked, cheerfully.

Yugi gave an exhausted sigh.  "I think I was the reason we lost."

Ryou gave a sad smile and said, "Well, you gave it your best shot.  That's ok, you'll do better next time."

The smaller boy shook his head, "Nobody on the team likes me!  Yami hates me too…"

Ryou frowned.  Yugi had a crush on Yami ever since fifth grade.  And now that they were juniors, the crush still hadn't faded away.  But he couldn't blame Yugi for idolizing Yami.  Afterall, it was Yugi's greatest wish to play professional football.  And Yami was the star of the team.

Yami and Bakura sat in the back, snickering over how wussy the new member of the football team was.  It was obvious that the only reason Yugi got in was because he was small enough to squeeze through the other players.  And even this pathetic attempt of an explanation did not fully justify why the little, pale boy was allowed to play alongside the two star players of the Domino High's football team.  Yami was the star quarterback and Bakura…well…Bakura practically scared the living hell out of any person on the opposite team.

But mistakes like Yugi made the team look bad.  And Yami and Bakura were NOT going to put up with it.  

"Hey…how about we get him at lunch?" Bakura suggested, smirking.  He was sure that with a few threats and a little punch, Yugi would wet his pants and go home crying.  And quit the team for good.

"Sure," Yami agreed, leaning back in his seat.  Piece of cake.  

***

            The bell rang, signifying the start of lunch.  Yugi, among other students, rushed out of the class room, followed closely by Ryou.  Together, they made their way towards the lunch court. 

"Hey, Yugi!"  Yami shouted across the hall.

Yugi's ears perked up, and he turned around.  Did Yami just talk to him?

Ryou turned around as well, wondering why Yugi had stopped.

"Come here!  We wanna talk to you!"  Yami yelled, motioning for Yugi to join him and Bakura at their table.

Yugi gave a surprised gasp, and would have skipped happily over to Yami, if it wasn't for Ryou's death-grip on his scarf.

"Ryou!  LET GO!"  Yugi begged, looking up at his friend.

"Yugi…I have a bad feeling about this," Ryou said worridly, glancing over at Bakura, who was cracking his knuckles.

"What are you talking about?!  They just wanna talk to me!"  Yugi pouted, trying to wrench his scarf out of Ryou's grasp.

Bakura shook his head and called out, "You, with the white hair!  You can come too!"

Yugi smiled triumphantly as Ryou's fingers loosened on the thick material.  Grabbing Ryou's hand, Yugi said excitedly, "Come on!  Let's go!"

It was rare for Yugi to be happy.  Ryou raised his hands in submission, and followed Yugi who was beaming with pride that Yami had invited him over to their table.

***

"Itaiiii!"  Yugi cried, as Yami's fist connected with his jaw, while Bakura held Ryou back.

"Hmmm.  That didn't even hurt my hand," Yami commented, smirking.  Bakura let go of Ryou's arms.

"YUGI!" Ryou shouted, rushing over to where his friend lay unconscious on the ground.

Bakura stared at Yugi, jabbing him in the side with a leather boot.  "Passed out already?!"  he mused, shaking his head.

"You BASTARDS!  You don't even KNOW!"  Ryou spat.  Cursing was so very uncharacteristic of the normally reticent boy, but he was now boiling with rage.  Didn't he warn Yugi!?  Why didn't he listen to his own advice?!

"Don't know what?"  Bakura asked, curiously.

Ryou glared and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the football coach himself.

"YAMI!  BAKURA!  Don't think I didn't see that!"  Mr. Wells yelled.

Bakura rolled his eyes, and Yami snorted.  

"Ok, ok.  A week of detention, I got it.  I'll never do it again," Yami said dully.

The coach narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering towards Yugi who began to stir.

"No," Mr. Wells said firmly, "Not this time.  Yami, I want you to spend a week with Yugi.  See how his life is.  And I hope that you will think twice the next time something like this happens.  And you!"  He turned to Bakura, "I want you to do the same with Ryou."

"WHAT!?"  Bakura and Ryou shouted in unison.

"I don't think that's fair!"  Bakura said.

"You've gotta be kidding me.  Spend a week with YUGI!?"  Yami finally spoke, glaring at the football coach.

"Do it, or you're off the team.  Do I make myself CLEAR?!"  The coach left the four boys, not waiting for an answer.

***

            "This is your fault, you know," Yami told Yugi.  He lay sprawled out on Yugi's bed.  He checked the time.  4:30. Yami glanced around his surroundings.  Yugi had the babiest room he'd ever seen.  Toys littered the ground and they were watching Hamtaro.  The only thing Yami approved of in the entire room was the posters of famous foot ball players that were on the walls.

            Yugi held a pack of ice to his jaw, and looked to the ground.  "I'm sorry.  I'll quit the team if you want me to."

            Yami sighed, "You could at least TRY to get better before the next game.  I guess I could help you work out or something.  Better than sitting here in your room watching this crap."  He turned off the T.V. and threw a nearby football at the petite boy.  The football collided with Yugi's forehead and bounced back into Yami's hands.

            "Ow…"  Yugi said meekly, rubbing the sore spot.

            "Damn, you really ARE hopeless," Yami said, resting his chin on his hand.  Guess we'll have to take you to the gym to build up your scrawny muscles.

            "What is that I hear about a gym?"  Yugi's grandpa asked, walking into the room.

            "We're just gonna lift some weights, nothing to worry about," Yami said.

            "Now, now…," Yugi's grandfather said, worriedly, "Yugi…I can't believe I let you join the football team.  But now you want to start working out?  I can't let you do that, my boy."

            "GEEZ!  No wonder Yugi's a shrimp!  You don't let him do anything!"  Yami chastised.  

            "But Yami, surely you understand!"  

            "NO, GRANDPA!  DON'T!"  Yugi begged.

            "Yami…Yugi has cancer.  He can't overexert himself or else…."  The elderly man trailed off.

            "Cancer?" Yami repeated, staring at Yugi who's eyes were welling up with tears.

Please review! -^^-


	2. Not So Bad

Thanks for reviewing this story.  It means a lot to me.  ^__^

And…I'm looking for some really sad song for later chapters…any ideas?  I was thinking something like…back street boys?  *gets pelted by stones* ahhhh!!!  Sorry!!  Preferably songs with themes like…losing someone special…

But anyway, on with the chapter. 

Enjoy.  Please read and review

            Ryou glared at Bakura who sat opposite him at the library.  The room was filled with the hushed noises of people flipping through various books and magazines, with the occasional sneeze or cough.  The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, if you'll excuse the expression.

            "When are you gonna stop staring daggers at me, sweetie?"  Bakura said monotonously, leaning his head on his arm.  Never had he set one foot inside a library, but Ryou insisted they meet here for the rest of the week because he did not want Bakura in his house, nor did he want to go to Bakura's.

"Why did you have to pick on Yugi?!  He's done nothing to you!"  Ryou finally whispered harshly, his chocolate eyes narrowing dangerously.

Bakura answered evenly, "With him on our team, we won't stand a chance against Checker High!"  and then quietly he said, "And how could I even hope for a scholarship if nobody even recognized Domino High…."

 "But he's a CANCER PATIENT!"  Ryou hissed loudly, deciding to ignore the last half of Bakura's excuse, causing the elderly librarian to waggle a finger at the pair.

"Sucks to be him,"  Bakura concluded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"YOU!"  Ryou growled, finally losing his self-control.  He climbed on the table and wrapped his hands around Bakura's neck in a choke-like manner.  "You have NO heart!"

Bakura smirked, wrapping his arms around Ryou's waist, drawing him nearer.  

"It does suck to be him," Bakura said thoughtfully, his facial expression softening, "So you think I owe him an apology, ne?"

"Yes,"  Ryou said, letting go of Bakura's neck, feeling a light blush spread across his cheeks as Bakura tightened his hold on Ryou's waist.  The taller of the two seemed to be contemplating whether to actually give in to Ryou.  

"Ok, then.  I'll apologize," Bakura said finally, letting go of Ryou altogether so that he toppled to the ground.

Ryou was too amazed that Bakura agreed to even react.  "You will?"

"Sure.  I'm not the kind of person who likes to beat on someone who can't properly defend himself."

Ryou stared at Bakura's retreating back.

"Oh, and by the way,"  the older teen paused, "I'm just borrowing it,"

"Borrowing WHAT?!"  Ryou asked bewildered.

"Your history homework."

Ryou looked down into his backpack and saw that, indeed, his homework was gone.  But…how did Bakura do that so fast without him seeing?

Ryou watched as the librarian verbally attacked Bakura for his earlier "violent hurling of another student into the floor."  Ryou smiled softly as Bakura growled at the gray-haired lady saying that he just shoved Ryou lightly, and that it hardly even counted as "violent hurling."

But that was just the thing, Bakura wasn't as violent as Ryou thought him to be.  Sure he was always picking fights at school came off as aggressive, but Ryou could sense something behind the cold and distant exterior.  Maybe Bakura wasn't such a bad person after all.  

***

            Tuesday morning came quickly and Yugi left his house, heading towards school.  He insisted on walking instead of having his grandpa drive him.  The Game Shop did not provide a lot of money for Yugi and his grandpa to live on, which was part of the reason Yugi did not receive extensive medical treatment for his cancer.

            The tri-colored hair youth tightened his scarf around his neck.  He had a doctor's appointment today after school.  He hated going to the hospital.  It was a constant reminder that he did not have long to live.  At his last check-up, his doctor gravely informed him that he had one month at best, even with corrective surgery.  That was the average life span of somebody with lung cancer that had spread through more than 40% of the tissue.  His mother's constant smoking was the cause for that. 

            But Yugi didn't cry or fall into depression because of the diagnosis.  His mother had died from lung cancer a year before, and at her death, Yugi cried all the tears he had left.  The only thing he had regretted about his slow death was missing Ryou and his grandpa, and…never getting the chance to experience true love with someone he really cared about.

            "Yugi!"  A voice snapped the young boy out of his reverie.

            Yugi recognized the voice.  Bakura.  Oh, man….first thing in the morning?!  Yugi quickened his pace, his little sneakers padding across the ground in a rushed attempt to escape.

            "Wait!!"  Bakura broke into a run, and placed an arm on the short boy's shoulder.

            Yugi let out a slight "eep" as he turned around to face the man who was probably going to beat him to a bloody pulp for getting him in trouble.  Yugi cringed as Bakura held up a hand.

            Bakura frowned at the cringe.  Was he THAT scary?  "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hit you.  I want to apologize.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know…."  Bakura said, holding out his hand for Yugi to shake.

            "You're…sorry?"  Yugi stared back and forth between the out-stretched hand and Bakura.  Finally, the tri-colored hair teen shook it and smiled, "That's ok.  I didn't tell anybody so it's not your fault.  But I'm the one who should be saying sorry.  It's my fault you have to hang out with Ryou for the rest of the week…" then after a short pause, Yugi continued, "But Ryou is a really good friend!  He's really nice, fun, and…he…he's really cool once you get to know him!"

            Bakura chuckled and said, "Ya.  Ryou seems like an ok guy…"

            Yugi beamed in pride at having Bakura praise his best friend.  His violet eyes sparkled happily as Bakura went on to say how Ryou was truly a loyal friend.

            "Well…" the white-haired teen said, "I gotta go now.  But don't think we're friends or anything.  I'm still pissed at having to spend the rest of the week at the library with Mr. Sensitivity," But the last two sentences weren't spoken with malice, and Bakura smirked at his creative new nickname for Ryou.

            Yugi waved until Bakura was out of sight and continued on his way to school.

***      

            The bell rang at exactly 3:00 p.m. and the doors of every classroom practically came off its hinges as students piled into the halls, ready to go home and leave school behind.  Yugi was among them, searching the sea of blue-uniformed teens for a certain spikey-haired person by the name of Yami.

            Finally catching a glimpse of who he was searching for, Yugi politely tapped him on the back.

            Yami spun around, looking to his left and right, before looking down. [^.^;;]

            "Yugi?  I was just looking for you," Yami said slightly annoyed, "We going to your house again today?"

            "Ano…actually, Yami…I have to go somewhere today…so maybe you should go hang out with Bakura and Ryou."

            "Where are you going?"  Yami asked, his eyebrow raised.  

            "Uh…just a check-up at the hospital, nothing serious…"

            "I see.  Alright, where is Bakura now?"  Yami asked.  He was confused at why he was disappointed that he could not spend the day with Yugi.  But it was probably because he had planned to help Yugi improve his hand-eye coordination today.  Yugi had assured Yami yesterday that he really wanted to play football, that it was his greatest dream.  Yami normally would have scoffed at such a ridiculous goal, but…Yugi was special somehow.  Probably because Yugi had confessed how he idolized Yami and wanted to be able to play just like him.  Or maybe it was because Yami's dad had been diagnosed with cancer just last month and he felt some kind of connection to Yugi.  Whatever it was, it was bugging Yami. [1]

            "Bakura's at the library I think…"  Yugi answered quickly, pointing to the said building.

            "Ok, thanks," said Yami, heading out the glass doors of Domino High.

***

            Yugi sat restlessly in the waiting room with his grandpa.  He hated these waiting rooms with little kids who sneezed on you and slobbered on your shoes…

            He randomly picked up a magazine and began to answer the questions of an interesting quiz called "Are You In Love?"

            Question One:  Do you wish your crush was in love with you?

            YES!!!  Yugi shouted in his mind, blushing a little as he mentally made note that he had 3 points.

            Question Two:  If he/she fell off a cliff, would you jump after her/him?

            What the hell?  Why would Yami fall off a cliff?  Who comes up with these stupid questions anyway?  But Yugi's internal rant was interrupted by a blond nurse who called out, "Yugi Motou!"

            His grandpa nudged Yugi, "Hey, she's calling you."

            Yugi followed the nurse into a room where he was told to wait for a doctor to have a talk with him.  Yugi sat at the edge of the bed/table and dangled his feet over the edge, his ears perking when he heard the voices of his doctor, Mr. Kotana and his grandpa speaking softly outside the door.  

            After a hushed silence, Mr. Kotana came in, accompanied by Yugi's grandpa.  His grandpa was as white as a sheet and was trying his best to hold back tears.  

            "Oh, Yugi…" the elderly man enveloped Yugi in a gentle hug, "I'm so sorry, my boy…"

            Mr. Kotana took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose before saying grimly, "Yugi…I have bad news…"

Cliffie!  ^^;;  Please review.  It'd make me very happy.

[1] I know this seems like I'm making everyone have cancer, but it serves as a bond for the two boys…you know what I mean?  -^^-


	3. One Week

Thanks for reviewing! Sorry these chapters have been so short.I've been trying to see how to develop the story so that it flows. haha. or maybe that's just an excuse because I'm lazy? Ohoho.I won't answer that. ^^;;  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Bad news?" Yugi repeated, his face remaining unreadable.  
Dr. Kotana approached his young patient, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I see that the medicine has been helping. You haven't been coughing blood recently, correct?" Without waiting for an answer, the doctor continued, "But even with medicine, and even with corrective surgery.you won't last for more than a matter of weeks, as with all patients with advanced cases of lung cancer. And, evidently, you haven't been getting any better since the last time I saw you and diagnosed you with a month to live. Are you following me, Yugi?"  
Yugi nodded his head, his eyes darting back and forth between his grandfather and the doctor who let out a sad sigh.  
"I told you that about three weeks ago.and my diagnosis hasn't changed, Yugi."  
".Then.that means.I have a week?" Yugi whispered, crystalline tears starting to form in his violet eyes. But he refused to let them fall.  
"Precisely.And as your doctor.I would recommend spending the remainder of the time with family members, friends.maybe consider writing a will? And what would be most helpful is if you would donate your organs so other kids can have a chance to live better lives. Of course, I'll leave this to you and your grandfather to discuss.....I am truly sorry, Yugi. I've never seen anyone as brave as you."  
Yugi looked up to Dr. Kotana who looked back with sad eyes and a weak smile.  
"I see," Yugi said, getting off the table. "Do you have any pamphlets about organ donations?"  
Dr. Kotana smiled and hugged Yugi softly, whispering into Yugi's ears, "Yugi no Tenshi."[1] ***  
Yami, Bakura, and Ryou sat at the library together, Yami having already explained to them that Yugi was busy. But despite the group of teens that had assembled at one table, all three remained silent. Bakura sat listening to music on his headphones, while Ryou attempted to start his math homework. Yami was just staring out into space.  
After an hour, Bakura put away his headphones, deciding, instead, that it would be more interesting to stare at Ryou until the smaller, white- haired teen started to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.  
Ryou silently wished that Bakura would stop looking at him because it was making him nervous. And it was making his cheeks burn to feel Bakura's dark, brown eyes studying his features so closely. Desperate to make conversation, Ryou turned to Yami.  
"Yami? You've been really quiet. Is something wrong?" Ryou's gentle voice asked softly. It worked. Bakura's gaze shifted to the said teen.  
Yami snapped up as if from a daydream and said, quite intelligently, "Huh?"  
Bakura snickered and said, "Ryou wanted to know," then raising his voice an octave higher than anyone would have guessed he could go, "'You've been really quiet. Is something wrong?'"  
Ryou frowned and threw his pencil at Bakura's face, who dodged it easily. As for the pencil, it lodged itself into the librarian's bee-hive hair-do as she happened to pass by, never to be seen again.  
"Actually," Yami said, "I was thinking about Yugi."  
Bakura grinned and was about to make a suggestive comment before Yami continued.  
"He has cancer, right? So why does he still have all that hair? I mean, shouldn't the chemotherapy have gotten rid of it or something?"  
"Well," Ryou answered, "I asked him about that once and he told me chemotherapy wouldn't have made a difference anyway. He said it had spread too much already."  
Bakura's grin vanished from his face. "That bad, huh?"  
"Poor kid," Yami muttered, feeling a twinge of pity in his heart. He just found it so hard to believe that Yugi, with his soft, violet eyes and laughing smile, was, in fact, a victim of cancer. How could he be? Yugi never complained or cried about it. He never even mentioned it once. Heck, Yugi didn't even want Yami to find out in the first place. The small, tri-colored hair boy even blamed himself for what had happened at lunch on Monday, not Yami or Bakura. Was he really that forgiving? Was Yugi really kind enough to forgive and forget, and to embrace your enemies as your friends?  
"Now do you see why the coach got so mad at you two?" Ryou said lightly, not rubbing it in, but simply informing the other two.  
Bakura gave a weary sigh and turned his headphones back on. Ryou turned back to his unfinished homework.  
"Well.at least it's not like Yugi's gonna die anytime soon," Yami said, more to himself than to the two white-haired teens that sat across from him. ***  
Yugi sat on his bed, looking outside the window to see a hummingbird flutter about outside. In so many ways, Yugi wished he could be a bird. To fly away from his problems. To fly far, far away and never have to deal with the pain that lingered at home.  
Over the bed sheets, various papers were scatted about. The pamphlets from earlier, as well as a half-finished will that he had partly given up on because he had nothing of real value anyway. The tri-colored hair boy had insisted he do this himself and would not let his grandfather handle all the paperwork.  
Yugi tore his view away from the window to concentrate on more important things that wishful thinking. He hadn't even started on his homework yet. He got up to get his backpack, but clutched onto his bed post when he suddenly felt dizzy.  
The room seemed to spin into a disarray of colors and shapes. Steadying himself, Yugi blinked hard and took deep breaths until his vision cleared. Panting, he sat down with a thump, leaning against the wall. After a moment or rest, Yugi grabbed his backpack and took out his history book.  
As soon as he got out his worksheet from class and settled at his desk, a knock at the door interrupted him.  
"Yugi? Can I come in? I brought you some dinner," His grandfather said through the door.  
"Ok!" Yugi replied cheerfully, putting aside his text book . He wasn't that hungry, but wanted to please his grandfather by wolfing down the soup and complimenting the chef. That always put a smile on his grandpa's face and made Yugi feel happy too.  
His grandfather came in with a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup, cringing before placing it on Yugi's desk, besides the advertisements for hand-crafted coffins. [;____;] "Is everything alright?" He asked carefully, watching as Yugi shoved a spoonful of the soup into his mouth.  
"Yep! Just doing some homework."  
"You look a little pale. Or is it just me?"  
"Oh, grandpa! You worry too much! I'm fine!" Yugi lied. But Yugi was not fine. His dizzy spells had become more and more frequent. But he didn't want to concern his grandfather, or Dr. Kotana. It was probably normal to be dizzy once in a while. And Yugi blamed the pain he had sometimes in his chest on heartburn. That's what you get when you eat greasy food, right?  
"You haven't been eating much either," his grandpa pointed out.  
"What? Yes I have!" Yugi said stubbornly, hurriedly swallowing the rest of the meal to prove his point.  
Sighing, the elderly man hugged Yugi and said tenderly, "I love you, Yugi. If you want to talk, I'll be there for you, ok?"  
Yugi hugged him back and said, "Ok, grandpa. I love you, too."  
And with that, Yugi's grandpa smiled and left the room, trusting Yugi to come to him when he needed comfort or support.  
Yugi watched as his grandfather left the room, shutting the door behind him.  
Sighing, Yugi finally let his mind settle on the one fact that he never let himself think about for long. The fact that he had a week to live. A mere 168 hours; 10,080 seconds. It just didn't even seem real. And he was spending this week with Yami. Even if the Yami was being forced to be nice, it still meant a lot to Yugi. Maybe they could even be friends. Ryou had been Yugi's one, true friend for as long as he could remember. Was the excited beating of his heart everytime he was near Yami a normal phase when you first make a new friend? Or was it something more?  
  
For a long time now, Yugi knew he was drawn to Yami in some way. Sure, Yami had his ruff edges, but there was a kindness that, perhaps, only Yugi had seen. Once, in 5th grade, during Christmas, Yugi was sent on an errand to buy groceries. How surprised Yugi was to see Yami run past him with no shoes on! In the middle of winter! Confused, but not willing to ask, Yugi continued on his walk to the grocery store, stopping to give money to a homeless person. But something caught his eyes. The homeless woman was crying, and clutching Yami's brand-new, $60 shoes that he had been bragging about at school. And there, Yugi stood, the poor woman thanking him over and over again, mistaking Yugi for the similar-looking young man who had given her shoes for her son.  
  
[1] couldn't help but put it in. tenshi=angel. (or so I'm told.) O.o;;  
  
And if my earlier calculations of how long Yugi has to live were wrong, which they might be (-_____-), I'm sorry that I am that slow-witted that I can't even use a calculator right. And I'm not joking either. I once thought there were 160 degrees in a circle and failed my math quiz. Yep.good memories of 9th grade geometry.  
  
By the way, can somebody tell me Yugi's grandpa's name? I keep calling him 'Yugi's grandpa' or the 'elderly man'. It's kind of annoying. Lol. Is it Sugaroku or something? ^^;;; 


	4. A New Friend

As a response to one of the reviews.the reason I might be rushing a little through this is because I didn't plan this fic to be very long.I was going to make it a one shot, most of it being a death scene, you know? But I changed my mind half-way because I want to develop the characters and have those nice, fluffy moments. Lol. But I'm still sorry if I'm moving too fast or skipping around too much. The version of the true story I heard wasn't very detailed, so if the fic is inconsistent, my apologies again.  
  
Uggh.I almost gave up on this fic. This one girl kept telling me the plot is too predictable and that it bites off of 'A Walk to Remember'. I don't know. I've never watched it because I have this thing against Mandy Moore. Haha.I don't know why. But I ignored her and went and wrote this chapter anyway just to spite her. Haha. But I still feel kinda depressed. Or maybe it's because I haven't slept in the last 30 hours. O.o;; *sigh*  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Yugi! MOVE IT!" shouted an agitated, green-haired young man, with the number 32 across his back. Wednesday football practice had barely begun and Yugi was already getting in the way.  
"Sorry," muttered Yugi, doing his best to move out of the way while trying to hold back a body-wracking coughing fit. Shit. Why now? Couldn't it wait for after school?! He covered his hands with his mouth, coughing until it felt like his lungs were on fire. And there, splattered on his hands were flecks of crimson blood.  
"I SAID MOVE!" the teen cried in frustration, violently shoving Yugi to the side as he dodged another player and threw the ball to through the goal posts.  
Yugi landed with a thud, causing the world to start spinning in a blur of green and sky blue. The tri-color haired youth remained sprawled on the ground, catching his breath. Maybe his grandpa was right.he _was_ pushing himself too hard. Dr. Kotana had repeatly suggested Yugi stay at the hospital under supervised care, but he had declined countless times, assuring the doctor he felt fine. Which he did, most of the time. He'd rather be at school with his friend anyway, than stay cooped up in some hospital room.  
Yami and Bakura were currently on the other side of the field, but did not fail to see the green-haired teen's actions. Bakura gave an annoyed grunt, and left the matter alone. But Yami was trembling with anger. "HEY! UNDERWOOD! Get your ass over here!" Yami shouted crossly as he ran across the grass to where his look-a-like sat on the ground.  
"Yugi, you don't look so good. Maybe you should sit out for the rest of the period," Yami suggested, gently lifting Yugi into a sitting posistion.  
Weevil Underwood walked over to where a very irate quarterback was motioning to him. "What's up, Yami?" He asked, stopping to stare at Yugi's small, crumpled form. Geez. Weevil just didn't get why Yugi was still on the team. He had overheard Bakura and Yami discussing their little plan on the bus on Monday. Yet, here Yugi was anyway, ruining a perfect play.  
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Yami snarled, indicating Yugi.  
"He was in the way! What's the big deal?" Weevil asked glaringly. He really didn't see why Yami was so cross.  
"What's the big deal!?" Yami practically shouted, getting to his feet, "Yugi has-"  
Yugi tugged on Yami's pants and shook his head. He didn't want anybody to know. He didn't want to be treated specially because of it, nor did he want people to feel sorry for him or give him any pity. It was HIS problem, and it was better not to have other people know.  
Yami's facial expression softened and he gave a defeated sigh at the sight of those pleading, violet eyes.  
Weevil saw this and smirked, saying, "Oh. I see how it is. Soft spot for Motou, eh, Yami? You _fag_."  
Yami growled, losing his patience, plowing his fist into Weevil's face.  
"Ow! You BASTARD!" Weevil yelled, his hand covering his bleeding nose.  
  
Yami rubbed his fist tentatively and was about to do more damage, when the coach blew his whistle, yelling "Yami! IN MY OFFICE! NOW!"  
"It was worth it," spat Yami, giving Weevil a final glare before heading off towards the small room that was the Coach's personal "office."  
Yugi watched in awe as Yami left, feeling a mixture of emotions; gratitude, happiness, and another feeling. Maybe, just maybe, this was a sign that Yami was willing to be his friend? The taller of the two obviously cared enough to stand up for the smaller boy, and even got into trouble because of it. Yugi's heart began to beat faster and some color came back to his pale face.  
  
***  
  
"Yami.care to explain why you just clobbered Underwood?" Coach Wells prompted, leaning back in his seat.  
"No," Yami said evenly, slouching back in the wooden chair.  
"Two fights in one week isn't good, Yami."  
"This doesn't count as a fight!" the tri-colored hair teen denied, "I was.just."  
"Just?"  
"He hit Yugi." Yami finally admitted, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"Oh?" Coach Wells sat up in interest, "So you and the kid are getting along well?"  
Yami made a face, saying, "He's a dork."  
The football coach sighed. "Very well. I'll let this one slide because it was for Yugi's sake. But no more hitting other people, ok?"  
"I can't make any promises," Yami said coolly, getting up and exiting the small office.  
"Geez. Kids these days." Coach Wells snorted.  
  
***  
  
Once again, after school, Bakura found himself in the library with Mr. Sensitivity. A.k.a. Ryou. But this time, he had stupidly forgot his headphones at home, and was forced to entertain himself by staring intently at the smaller boy who was currently reading a book. But staring wasn't so bad since Bakura found Ryou extremely attractive. But he'd be damned if he ever admitted it. That, however, was not important at the time because the older white-haired teen was about to go insane from the constant ticking of the clock and the flipping of pages.  
After agonizing minutes of complete boredom, Bakura quickly snatched the book out of Ryou's hands.  
"Hey!" Ryou protested, grabbing at the said book.  
"Harry Potter?" Bakura questioned, reading the title.  
"Well, I happen to find it interesting." Ryou responded, slightly embarrassed.  
"Uh-huh. I see." Bakura said in a sarcastic voice. "Why don't we do something MORE interesting."  
"Like?" Ryou said impatiently.  
"If you come with me, you'll see," Bakura said mysteriously, a smirk playing on his handsome features.  
"But I have homework to do!" Ryou protested.  
"Fine. Then you can say good-bye to Harry Potter!" Bakura promptly got up and headed towards the exit.  
"Hey!" Ryou called. "Wait!" Quickly, he gathered his stuff and followed Bakura out the door.  
Bakura headed towards where his BMW was parked outside. "Let's go take a drive."  
Ryou looked uncertainly at the silver car, and then at its owner. "Do you have a liscence?"  
"What do you think?"  
"Do you? I don't want to die in a blazing car accident," Ryou informed Bakura.  
"You won't die, I promise. Get in," Bakura coaxed, going to the passenger side of the car and opening the door for Ryou. "Trust me."  
Ryou hesitated before getting in and closing the door, fastening his seatbelt. He did trust Bakura. Something inside him told him that he could be at ease with the white-haired teen. "So where are we going?"  
"McDonalds. I feel like ice cream."  
Ryou raised an eyebrow at his companion. "Ice cream in the middle of winter?"  
"Yep," Bakura said with a grin, starting up the car and pulling out of the parking lot. "I like to live on the wild side."  
  
***  
"Yami.you really didn't have to." Yugi said on his way home with Yami. With each foot step, Yugi grew more and more tired. The result of an exhausting day, right? Nothing to worry about.But he couldn't let himself look weak, not while Yami was there. Yugi forced himself to act happy and alert, but he really felt like taking a nice, long nap. He shook his head from left to right. No! The doctor's words were getting to him. A week was all he had left to live? That was ridiculous. He felt fine up until today. And besides, sometimes doctors were wrong. His mother lived a full month after her expected time was up. Why shouldn't he be the same?  
Yami looked at Yugi. Something seemed to be on his mind. Was it because of the way he had acted today? Why did he hit Weevil, anyway? Yami tried to convince himself that he just acted on the spur of the moment. But he knew that wasn't the real reason. Yami had been boiling with rage when he saw the pained look on Yugi's face. And he had this strong instinct to protect the delicate boy. And Yami knew it was not out of simple courtesy. And it wasn't because he was forced to, either. It was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.  
"Yami.I wanted to say thank you." Yugi's soft voice interrupted Yami's thoughts and Yami had to blink a couple times before responding.  
"No problem, Yugi."  
"Can.can I consider you.as a friend?" Yugi asked shyly, looking away from Yami's face.  
"Uhh.Sure." Yami said, running a hand through his hair. A friend, huh?  
Yugi smiled happily, his eyes becoming shiny with joy. Yami smiled too, happy that he had made Yugi smile.  
Yami was his friend! But a part of him was disappointed that he was _just_ a friend and nothing more. Yugi continued walking, coughing lightly every now and then. To Yugi, the world around him suddenly seemed to become dimmer and dimmer, his vision obscured by darkness. Odd, he thought, is it going to rain? [my poor, poor boy.that's not the reason it's getting darker.]  
Yami remained silent, thinking about nothing in particular, just enjoying the breeze. Until Yugi started to lag behind.  
"Yugi? Come on, if you don't hurry up, we'll miss Hamtaro," Yami teased. But the grin left his face when he saw Yugi sway to the left and collapse onto the pavement, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.  
  
"YUGI!" Yami shouted, running over to the unconscious boy. "Oh my god." He whispered, shaking the limp boy in his arms. "Yugi! YUGI! SHIT!"  
  
Hahaha.I'm sorry about the cliffie. Mom's screaming at me to stop. Lol. Please review. Thanks. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. ~*~ lilhammygrl~*~ 


	5. Snow Flake

A/N Hey! Thanks again for reviewing! Some of them really made me feel special! ^_^ And I want to thank you for putting up with my odd writing skills. Hopefully this chapter is better because its not rushed. *beams in pride*  
  
And also, by the way, I finally DID watch that Mandy Moore Movie. Well.the first half of it. Ok, fine, the first 15 minutes, but whatever. ^___^ The guy was kinda cute. But not as cute as Yami and Yugi! WAIII!!! And Bakura and Ryou. ^.~  
  
Oh, and I wonder if you guys can guess what the miracle-ish thing at the end is gonna be! It's not like, WHOAH THE CANCER'S GONE kind of miracle, so nothing like that. ^_^ Hmm.I guess whoever figures it out can be the nurse in the next chapter. Hahaha. *gets an octopus thrown at me* Hey! It's not my fault I'm so corny. -_________-  
  
Ok, enough... On with the chapter.  
  
~*~ Chapter 5~*~  
  
It was beginning to snow, and the world was awash in the steady falling of delicate snowflakes. Yami began to panic as Yugi showed no signs of waking, the snow collecting on the little one's lashes. Quickly shoving his hand into his pocket, he reached for his cell phone. Taking off his leather gloves so he could dial properly, Yami frantically called 911.  
Practically shouting into the device, Yami said, "Yes, this is an emergency. He.he just passed out or something, but he won't wake up! What should I- Ok. The corner of Oak street and Main. Ok, hold on. Let me check."  
Yami grabbed a hold of one of Yugi's wrists, noting the faint heart beat. And then intently watched Yugi's chest for a steady rise and fall that was meant the young man was breathing. But he could detect no such sign.  
"I-He's not.he's not breathing!" Yami yelled into the phone. "CPR? I don't know how." Why was he not paying attention in class when the coach went over how to perform the life-saving technique?! [1]  
The woman on the other line calmly assured Yami the paramedics would be there soon, and that he shouldn't worry. The tri-color haired youth hung up, clumsily replacing it in his pant's pocket. All he had to do was wait, but it was tearing Yami up inside, because he couldn't do anything. So, he just looked. He stared at Yugi, the little one's pale face contorted in pain, making Yami's heart ache. But the devasted teen suddenly brightened when he saw a little cloud of condensation near Yugi's mouth; the warmness of his breath mingling with the crisp, cold air. So Yugi _was_ breathing; the many layers of coats and sweaters had blocked the up and down movement from Yami's eyes earlier, but.there was no doubt about it. Yugi was going to be ok.if he could just hang on for the fucking ambulance who should have been here by now!  
The loud sirens of the approaching ambulance shook Yami out of his reverie, and he looked up, silently bidding the paradmedics to hurry up because.well.because Yugi mattered to him.  
The ambulance screeched to a halt on the street, with two men with a stretcher shoving Yami aside and lifting Yugi's limp body onto the bedding.  
  
"Can I come too?" Yami asked quietly, as they loaded Yugi into the back.  
"Sure, kid. You can help answer a few questions too."  
The tri-color haired youth willingly agreed, telling them what he knew about the unconscious boy; his name, his age, his phone number.  
But Yami kept his eyes locked onto Yugi's face, his hand intertwined with Yugi's, giving the thin, pale fingers a small squeeze of reassurance.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ryou and Bakura, both their hair as white as the flurry of snow outside, sat at a small table to the side, safe from the snowfall in the nearby McDonalds. [the mention of that fast-food chain ruined the effect, didn't it? -_-] Bakura was methodically licking at his chocolate ice cream while eyeing Ryou, who was letting his vanilla ice cream drip onto his hand.  
"Ryou.you're getting ice-creamy." Bakura said, raising an eyebrow.  
Ryou looked up suddenly, as if from a trance, and blushed as he wiped away the liquid. "I'm sorry. I just had the oddest feeling."  
"Really?" Bakura said, leaning closer. "And what would that feeling be?"  
"I don't know." Ryou admitted, sighing as he looked at his frozen dessert with lack of interest.  
"Not hungry, huh? Well, if you're not gonna eat your ice cream, _I_ will," Bakura said slyly, grabbing a hold of Ryou's wrist as he took several licks from Ryou's cone.  
"Hey!" Ryou protested, trying to pry his ice cream from Bakura who had a smirk playing on his ice-cream covered lips.  
Ryou giggled, letting Bakura take his ice cream cone, and said, ".you have some ice cream on your lips, you know."  
The giggling teen and offered a napkin to Bakura, who was still smirking despite the normally embarrassing revelation.  
"I have no hands!" Bakura said, holding up his hands that were occupied with the ice cream cones. Then lowering his voice, he asked, "Would you be a sweetheart and do it for me?"  
Ryou smiled and said, "Geez, what am I, your nanny?" But he leaned over the table anyway, napkin poised.  
Bakura quickly dropped both ice creams onto the tray, before using his hands to bring Ryou closer to him, enveloping him in a gentle kiss that, strangely, tasted of vanilla.  
Ryou's doe, brown eyes widened at the new sensation, the warmness of Bakura lips covering his. But it felt.good, and Ryou found himself melting into the kiss, his mind swimming in bliss.  
Bakura himself was amazed at the softness of the petal-soft lips against his, and leaned further into the kiss, relishing the feeling that was Ryou. Until an irritated *ahem* broke the kiss.  
Bakura scowled and glared up at a young woman who had so rudely coughed to tell them that their behavior was NOT to be tolerated in front of her snotty little toddler who was grinning impishly at the couple. "Mommy, why were two guys kissing?"  
"There were doing NO SUCH THING!" the woman replied, giving one last heated leer at the two before leaving with a dignified, hmph!  
"Bitch," Bakura muttered, glancing back at Ryou.  
The smaller white haired teen looked down, blushing, suddenly interested in his hands.  
Bakura smiled and leaned his head on his hand, "So where were we?"  
Ryou looked up, shocked and blushed an adorable shade of red.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yami had been pacing the narrow, tiled hallway, outside the waiting room for what seemed like hours before he caught sight of Surogoku Motou. The elderly man came to the tri-colored hair teen, demanding to know what happened.  
"I don't know, sir," Yami said dully, "He just.went limp."  
The grey-haired man's face fell and he tugged at his beard. [2] "This isn't good, Yami.not good at all."  
"No, REALLY?!" Yami suddenly exploded. [thank you, captain obvious! ^_^]  
He shocked the old man into silence.  
"I'm sorry." Yami muttered, "I just."  
Dr. Kotana cut Yami off as he entered the hall from an elevator door. "Mr. Motou!" He called, gaining not only the said man's attention, but the young teen's as well.  
"I just finished checking up on Yugi, and he'll be fine.But now I not only insist, but firmly compel you to let him stay in the hospital. He has no other choice, I'm afraid." The middle-aged man let out a sigh. "I told him, but he didn't believe me. That sudden blacking out was a combination of over-exersion and exhaustion. Remember how we talked about pulling him out of school?"  
And so, the conversion went on, until Dr. Kotana noticed Yami.  
"My, word! You.look a lot like Yugi." [Once again, thank you Captain Obvious. -_-;]  
"So he's going to be ok?" Yami asked bluntly.  
"Yes, yes. He's been asking for you. Yami, is it?" Dr. Kotana mused. "I suppose you can see him. He's in room 403."  
The eager tri-color haired teen barely waited for the doctor to finish, before sprinting towards the elevator and pressing the button for level 4. Never had Yami hated elevator music more than now, as it seemingly took forever for the elevator to reach the desired floor. Presently, a small 'ding' informed him that the elevator had stopped, and he bounded through the opening doors, looking to the right and the left, before entering room 403.  
There, Yugi lay on the hospital bed, looking up with wide eyes at Yami. An IV stand was at one side, where a tube filled with clear liquid was embedded into the little one's arm, through a needle. Other various equipment was hooked up to Yugi's frail body, including one device that constantly beeped, recording the beating of Yugi's heart. Yami opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, not knowing what exactly he wanted to say.  
"Yami.you're still here?" Yugi asked quietly, wringing the clean, white sheets with his little hands nervously. He hadn't planned on Yami being there when he suddenly went unconscious.Now, he probably thought Yugi was some kind of pitiful weakling.  
Yami nodded and said, "You had me worried for a while."  
Yugi brightened up a little and shyly said, "Really?"  
The taller of the two, realizing the hidden meaning in the words he had said, hastily added, "Well, I don't want you dying or something."  
"Oh," Yugi said, slightly disappointed.  
An awkward silence followed, consisting of Yami shifting his weight from one foot to another and Yugi playing with his hands.  
Finally Yugi spoke, breaking the silence, "You don't have to stay, Yami."  
Yami looked up, surprised. He knew that he didn't have to stay, but a part of him wanted to.  
The door opened and Yugi's grandpa game in, immediately coming over to the side of the bed and giving Yugi a small hug.  
"Yugi! You almost gave me a heart attack when I got the call from the hospital! Are you ok?!"  
"Yes, Grandpa, I'm fine." Yugi reassured him, putting on a bright smile.  
"Because I was talking to the doctor and-"  
Yami saw this as an opportunity to leave. Obviously, the boy and his grandfather needed to talk in private. And who was he to just sit there and stare at Yugi, involving himself in other people's matters?  
The tri-color haired teen quietly let himself out, shutting the door softly behind him. He made his way out of the hospital, shoving his hands into his pockets. His fingers ran over the cool, metal surface of his cell phone, and he took it out, deciding to call Ryou to tell him about what happened. If something happened to Bakura, Yami would want to know. But.Ryou's phone number remained unknown to him.  
But Ryou was probably with Bakura anyway, so Yami dialed Bakura's cell phone number, waiting impatiently for his white-haired friend to pick up.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~  
  
Bakura leaned over in his seat again, ready to plant another kiss on those incredibly soft, pliant lips of Ryou, when his cell phone suddenly rang to the tune of Paranoid by Black Sabbath. [3]  
Silenting swearing to kill whoever was on the other line, Bakura grudgingly pulled out his phone, growling. "WHAT!?"  
Yami pulled the phone away from his ear at the loud shout and said, "Bakura! Is Ryou there? I need to talk to him!"  
"Why!? We're kinda in the middle of something!" Bakura hissed, annoyed.  
"Just fucking let me talk to him, you bitch."  
"Fine." Bakura sighed, handing his phone over to Ryou. Amazingly, he did not feel like engaging in a cussing-contest with Yami.  
"Hello?" Ryou asked timidly, wondering who would call him through Bakura.  
After a few seconds, Ryou's eyes widened, and he dropped the phone onto the table. Bakura lifted his head at the sound of the clatter and saw the worried look on the face. "What's wrong?"  
Ryou remained silent, biting his lip. Guilt started to surface. Yugi, his best friend was in pain, and here he was, practically making out with Bakura, without the slightest care in the world.  
"I have to go," Ryou said, quickly getting up. "Thank you for the ice cream."  
"Hey! Wait!" Bakura shouted, getting up after Ryou. What was that all about? He grabbed Ryou's wrist. "What did I do wrong?"  
"Notihng! Just let go!" Ryou whispered, trying to jerk his wrist away.  
Bakura stared into Ryou's eyes, glittering with unshed tears. He didn't think the kiss would have such a negative effect on him. Bakura removed his hand, letting Ryou's arm fall gently to his side and watched as the white-haired teen hurridly left, disappearing into the hazy snow.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
[1] Well. It would have been peachy if Yami did do CPR, but.that would have been too pefect. XD *gets a squid thrown at me*  
  
[2] he DOES have a beard, right? My memory is hazy. =_=  
  
[3] took me a long time to pick music for Bakura. I hope that's "bad-ass" enough for him. *gets hit with a clam* hey?! What's with all the seafood?  
  
So that's the end of this chapter. Please review because I love all of you soooooooo much. And I love sparkly stickers cuz they're soo pretty and sparkly and they're all cool and stuff. I like bananas too, but too much makes my tummy hurt. ;__;  
  
Bakura: O_o I think she's been hit in the head too many times. 


	6. Fallen

A/N None of you guessed right. Lol. I really didn't expect you to know anyway.but you'll see soon enough. ^^  
  
Was the lack of Yami/Yugi fluff the reason I didn't get as many reviews last chapter? Oh well. *shrug* Lots of that coming up anyway, so no need to worry. ^____________^  
  
Plus I just realized that in all my stories, I have no disclaimer. *gasp* I just figured you all knew. But, for those of you who don't, here it is.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh. Sadly, it's true. But I've been considering kidnapping Kazuki Takahashi and MAKING him draw for me. ^_______^ But it'll be hard sneaking him out from the airport..  
  
~*~Chapter 6~*~  
  
Ryou came through the sliding glass doors of the hospital, not even bothering to brush away the snow that had collected in his hair. He stopped at the front desk, where a blond nurse sat, talking to her boyfriend on the phone. The whole way there, he had been crushed with wave after wave of worry and guilt. Worry for his best friend's well being, and guilt for having shared a kiss with a certain white-haired teen who, just earlier this week, watched amused as Yami beat up Yugi. Of course, neither of them had known about the cancer..but it was still unforgivable! Yet..  
"I'm here to see Yugi Motou." Ryou said to the blond, who glanced casually over at the boy before returning to her conversation.  
"What room is he in?" he continued, tapping his fingers against the desk in annoyance.  
"One second, sir! I'll be right with you!" The blond hissed, apologizing to whoever was on the other line.  
"Now would be nice.." Ryou said, irritated.  
"Ok, FINE!" The nurse finally hung up, and grudgingly looked up Motou in her folder. "Room 403." [Muahaha! That's the same room Bakura has in my other fic]  
"Thank you!" Ryou said, heading towards the elevator.  
  
***  
  
Ryou knocked on the door twice before entering. "Yugi?"  
The tri-color haired boy looked up tiredly from his notebook, but forced himself to smile happily when he saw who it was. "Ryou! You came to see me!"  
Ryou gave a sad smile and went over to the side of Yugi's bed. "Of course I came." He looked about the room, from the bleeping heart monitor to the IV stand, noting the pale color of Yugi's face. "Are you going to be alright?"  
Yugi hesiated momentarily before saying, "I'll be fine! No need to worry!" But inside, he wondered. He wondered just how long he would wait before telling Ryou he had the rest of the week. He had never hept anything from his best friend before, not in the many years he had known the white-haired teen. But there was no need to cause Ryou reasons to worry.  
Yugi bit his lip when he saw Ryou didn't quite believe everything was fine. Flashing a bright smile, the ill youth said, "Oh, come on, Ryou. Really, I'm ok!"  
The white haired teen scanned his best friend's face with worried eyes, sensing the forced happiness in Yugi's words. But instead of pressing the subject further, Ryou changed the subject, talking, instead, about next week's football game.  
That subject normally excited Yugi greatly, which was Ryou's goal. But little did Ryou know that this time, the excitement was replaced by depression. Because Yugi knew he wouldn't be there to play or cheer them on.  
  
***  
  
School on Thursday went by sluggishly, the clock ticking at an impossibly slow rate. It was nearing the end of sixth period. Ryou had pretended not to notice Bakura's stares all day, and Yami's thoughts constantly went to a certain tri-color haired boy who was not at school today. All three were yearning to hear the familiar ringing of the bell, all for their own reasons.  
When History finally ended, Yami got up quickly, stuffing his books into his backpack, and heading to where his motorcycle was parked outside. Immediately, he started up the vehicle and headed towards Domino Hospital.  
  
***  
  
"Yugi, you have a visitor," said a nurse said softly, opening the door so a slender, leather-clad figure could enter the room.  
Yami walked in, holding a copy of tonight's homework for the ill boy. But Yugi lie still on the bed, his eyes shut in peaceful sleep. Yami looked about the room before putting the worksheets on a side table. But now that Yugi had his homework, Yami really had no reason to stay any longer. Burrowing his eyebrows in thought, Yami decided to wait until Yugi woke up. He was technically supposed to spend the day with him anyway, right?  
So Yami stood above the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of Yugi's chest. But there was one question in his mind. After the week was up....then what? Would everything go back to the way it was before? Sure, Yami had said he was Yugi's friend, but...was that a permanent friendship? He could not see himself hanging out with the little one at school. And what would Bakura think? And being friends with Yugi was exactly what Coach Wells had planned form the start, wasn't it. And Yami would be damned if he let anyone get the best of him.  
But still, Yami really hoped Yugi would get better soon. Whenever Yugi was around, there was something about him that made Yami feel different. Something the taller teen couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was Yugi's childish innocence. The way Yugi's eyes brightened in happiness, the way he flashed his beautiful smile.  
Yami stared again at the small form that lay beneath the soft, white sheets.  
How angelic the little one looked. His pale, creamy skin...his light pink lips that moved apart and drew together with every breath he took. The taller of the two paused on Yugi's lips, letting his eyes linger on rose-colored entrance. Slowly, he subconsciously moved his head lower.  
Yugi stirred in his sleep, slowly opening his violet eyes. As his vision focused, he said, startled, "Yami!"  
The tri-color haired teen jerked back, the slightest blush gracing his cheeks. "Uh.hi, Yugi."  
Yugi smiled, unaware of anything. "How long have you been here?" He asked cheerfully.  
"Not very long. I just wanted to drop off some stuff. It's over there," Yami pointed to where he had placed the various papers from different classes.  
"Thank you!" Yugi said, smiling.  
Yami smiled too, though not seeing any reason for doing so. "Your probably tired. I should leave."  
"No!" Yugi shouted, surprising Yami. Even though he was feeling a bit tired, he wanted Yami to stay. Because when Yami was there, it made all the pain go away. Because Yami was his new friend, and Yugi felt happy when Yami was around. Even if it was just momentary, it brought Yugi away from hospital life; away from the tiredness, the dizzy spells, and the loneliness.  
"You want me to stay?" the tri-color haired teen asked.  
Yugi blushed slightly, bringing his eyes up to meet Yami's intense, crimson ones. "I just thought maybe you wanted to play Duel Monsters with me."  
Yami grinned. Duel monsters? That was his favorite game. He didn't know Yugi was into that kind of stuff, though. "Sure," Yami smirked, pulling his deck out of his leather jacket. "But I should warn you that I'm a pretty good duelist."  
Yugi shook his head, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "But you're still no match for me!"  
And so, the game progressed. Both were amazed by the other's skill and were shocked to find out that the Dark Magician was the strongest cards in both their decks.[1] But in the middle of the game, Yugi's vision was slowly being obscured by murky shadows of darkness. Oh, not again! Yugi blinked hard, repeatedly, trying to chase away the lingering wisps of dimness.  
"Yugi?" Yami asked, noting the pause in the other's game scheme.  
"Sorry. I just feel a little weird..." Yugi explained, shutting his eyes for a minute, momentarily succumbing to the dark. He had been sitting on the very edge of his bed so he could have easy access to the makeshift "dueling arena". And with his eyes still closed, he involuntarily began to tilt more and more away from the bed until he fell off the bed completely and landed, with a soft thump, onto Yami.  
"Yugi....are you ok?" Yami asked, uncertainly, pushing the little one up into a sitting position.  
"Hmmm?" Yugi murmured softly, opening his eyes a little. "OH! I'm so sorry!" He apologized, scrambling out of Yami's lap and escaping the strong, warm arms that, for a moment, had surrounded him.  
Yugi's blushed a bright red, and Yami's remained unreadable. After what seemed like an eternity of uneasy silence, Yami said, "I guess it IS getting a bit late." He glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. They had been dueling for four hours, so it was no wonder Yugi had begun to lose his stamina.  
A nurse, as of on cue, popped her head in and said, "Young man, visiting hours are over!"  
"Ok.." Yami said, and then to Yugi, "I'll see you later, ok?"  
Yugi nodded tiredly, and leaned back into the soft pillows of his bed. Yami picked up his deck and left.  
Once outside, Yami pulled out his deck again, just to make sure he didn't leave any cards at the hospital. But his mouth gaped in interest when he saw that the deck he had grabbed was not his own, but Yugi's. In it were the Dark Magician and Beaver Warrior, among others. Then, an idea sparked in his mind. Bakura had a talent for reading Dual Monster cards like Tarot cards. So Yami made a mental note to ask the white-haired teen about Yugi's future later. [2] Of course, Yami never really believed in that kind of stuff, but it was still interesting to see what Bakura had to say about different cards.  
  
***  
  
Yami knocked on the door of Bakura's house, waiting until his best friend opened the door.  
"Yami?"  
"Hey, Bakura! You're home. I thought you'd be hanging out with Ryou at the library or something. Anyway, I want you to read these for me." Yami shoved the deck into the white-haired teen's hands, giving his buddy a smirk.  
But Bakura was not amused. He narrowed his eyes at the comment about Ryou. "What did you say to him anyway?" He growled.  
"Huh?" Yami asked.  
"What did you say to Ryou that day? He's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since." At the library, Ryou had diligently worked on his math homework the whole time, not even bothering to give Bakura a nasty look when he made a rude comment about the librarian.  
The tri-color haired teen raised an eyebrow. "I told him Yugi was in the hospital. And that's it."  
Bakura didn't quite believe that could be why, but he shrugged it off and let Yami in anyway. They sat on Bakura's messy bed as the white-haired teen shuffled the deck.  
"Who's are these?" He asked.  
"Yugi's."  
"I see." Bakura gave Yami a weird look, before drawing the first 7 cards on the top. But as he lay down them down, he frowned. "That can't be right."  
So Bakura shuffled again, drew another 7 cards, and lay them down again. Once again, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  
"What?" Yami demanded, not knowing what was going on.  
Bakura looked up at Yami, smoldering brown meeting brilliant crimsom.  
"WHAT IS IT?!"  
Bakura reluctantly pointed to the first card. "That card means..."  
  
Ok. I'm going to end that there because I'm going to buy manga today! YAY!!!! But anyway. Now I have a week to figure out how to read tarot cards so I can make the next chapter more realistic. Great. But anyway, please review!!! Please? My birthday's coming up. *cough* *cough* And reviews make good presents. ^_________^  
  
[1] Just had to put that in. ^_^ What would Yami be without Duel Monsters?! LOL! [2] Muahaha. It's true! He can! 


	7. What You Mean to Me

A/N Hey guys! Wow. I feel like it's been a year. ;_; I missed you all soooo much!! Oh!!! Thanks for all of the people who gave me b-day presents. ^_^ and also, I want to announce that my fanart is FINALLY up! It's at devianart.com under Lilhammygrl. Please check it out! Lots of Yugioh pictures. Oh, wait. Only 3. But still! ^_^  
  
Please read and review.  
  
~*~Chapter 7~*~  
  
Yami stared blankly at the card that had just been revealed to him. "Germ infection?"  
Bakura nodded, his white bangs hanging in his eyes. "I think it means cancer."  
"But we already know that!" the tri-color haired teen said impatiently.  
Bakura shook his head; he wasn't finished. The worst was yet to come. He turned over another card. "Final Destiny." And he overturned another. "Soul Release."  
Yami's crimson eyes widened considerably, finally grasping the meaning of the cards. "You're kidding, right?" Yami asked, his heart beating painfully in his chest.  
Choosing not to answer, Bakura showed the other four cards. Solemn Judgement, Scape Goat, Shining Friendship, and Final Will.  
The white-haired teen began to explain. "For Yugi..it's his destiny to... die. And his judgment day .... is going to be in four days," Bakura stopped to point out the four goats on a magic card before continuing, "But his life will have been worth it because of his friends who care about him. But...I don't understand the last card. Sorry, Yami. It just doesn't fit."  
Yami's brows furrowed together. "No..."  
Bakura gave a sympathetic look to his friend. "Well, it's not like we believe in this stuff anyway," he said, laughing nervously. But inside, Bakura knew. He knew what was going to happen. It wasn't just a game with cards; it told of the future. And it had proved itself true too many times before to ignore it now.  
"Yeah. I guess not. It's just a card trick," Yami murmured, uncertainly. And even though Yami knew that he shouldn't let this get to him, nor should he have felt anything for Yugi, it was like a hurricane inside, the violent wind slowly wearing him down.  
"...Bakura?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Four days?"  
Bakura hesitated, biting his lower lip lightly before answering. "...yes."  
  
***  
  
The next day, Yami went through his classes lifelessly, as if his mind was somewhere else. He took his math test; he tackled people in football practice; he shoved food into his mouth alongside Bakura; and he now sat in 6th period, waiting. Just waiting. And while everyone else excitedly awaited the start of the weekend, Yami dreaded it. 'Thank God it's Friday, my ass.' He thought bitterly.  
He leaned his head on his hand, unable to concentrate on the lesson, unable to keep his thoughts off Yugi. It was impossible that the bright- eyed, happy teen was going to be gone, just like that. Right? But Yami couldn't convince himself otherwise.  
"Yami," Bakura said, standing over his friend.  
Yami continued to look out the window.  
"Yami!"  
Still no response.  
"YAMI!"  
"WHAT?!" He cried, turning indignantly over to Bakura.  
"The bell rang ten minutes ago. Aren't you going to go home?" Normally, the white-haired teen would have slapped Yami upside the head, and say, 'Dumbass, what the hell where you daydreaming about?' But he knew better than that. Maybe he was the *only* one who knew what was really going on. What Yami felt deep inside his heart. Bakura had seen it when he protected Yugi from Weevil. He had seen it when he had told of the little one's future. And he saw it now, in Yami's eyes. They were like a window into his soul. And Bakura could see right through them. If only Yami could see it too. If only the cards Fate had dealt Yugi could be re- shuffled, much like the Duel Monster cards that he had read the day before.  
But as both teens stood there in silence, their bond grew even more. Because only a true friend can bring the other back down to reality; to mirror the dreams of a wish so desperately desired.  
Finally, Bakura spoke. His voice softened, the hard edge melting away for the sake of his best friend. "You better see him before visiting hours are over."  
  
***  
  
Bakura watched with uncharacteristically gentle eyes as Yami hurried out of the room. And the white-haired teen gave a sad smile. In staying with Yami, he had missed an opportunity to see Ryou. Today was the start of Winter Break. And now he would have to wait until the school started again to confront Ryou. Besides, now that the week was over, he had no reason to stay. Bakura turned his head away, looking off into the sky where the sun hid behind a mass of clouds. The azure sky was tinted in pink, the faint rays of sunshine coming in through the window. And Bakura heaved tired sigh. The urge deep inside himself to be with Ryou was aching deep within him. Like the snow that had begun to fall to the ground, Bakura's world was slowly being misted over in doubt.  
  
***  
  
The pale, warm shafts of light filtered through the curtains of room 403, the exquisite sunshine playing with the shadows on Yugi's face.  
Yami leaned over the little one, staring intently at his peaceful face. After today....what would happen? His punishment was over. But now what? He brushed away a golden bang, watching as Yugi stirred slightly. With Winter Vacation starting, would life go as his friendship with Yugi remained in the past? The tri-color haired teen stroked Yugi's cheek softly, his crimson eyes searching the little one's angelic face desperately, as if looking for an answer to a question that only time could tell.  
"Mmmmm..." Violet eyes slowly fluttered open and. And as his eyes began to focus, Yugi gave a startled gasp. "YAMI?!"  
This had been the second time Yami had caught the little one off guard, but this time, both let a smile grace their lips.  
But Yami's smile faded as he decided to voice the question that had been on his mind since the minute he stepped foot into the hospital.  
"Yugi..."  
"Yes?" He asked, cheerfully, hiding the exhaustion that had begun to plague him daily, despite his long hours of rest and the medications that were supposed to help.  
"Did the doctor say anything about how long you have...to live?"  
Yugi's eyes dialated at the question. "Uh..."  
"Yugi. Please tell me." Yami's heart thumped painfully in his chest. But he needed to know.  
Yugi opened his mouth, and then shut it. How could he tell Yami? Yugi looked up at the taller tri-color haired teen.  
Yami looked back, his expression unreadable. But his eyes held a certain spark in them, and they shook in hopeful anticipation. Yugi looked away. "...I..."  
Yami moved closer, lifting Yugi's chin so that their eyes met once again, sparkling violet meeting brilliant crimson.  
"...Yugi..."  
The heat rose to Yugi's pale face, and his breathing became hitched. His heartbeat quickened as his lips parted to let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.  
"...Yugi..." Yami leaned closer, his eyes conveying so much emotion that Yugi got lost in their mesmerizing beauty.  
Yugi's eyes began to shine with unshed tears, the crystalline glitter enhanced by the lighting, his features silhouetted by the sun. "......sometime...early, next week."  
Yami pulled back slightly, devasted by the news. Even though he saw this coming, it still hurt more than he thought possible. But why did it hurt? Why would he care? For a long time now, he had questioned himself about this. And he felt as though the answer was almost at hand. But right now, his mind began to slow, the increasing desire to capture those lips before him began to intensify.  
So before Yami's mind could stop him, before he had time to question his actions, he went with his inner feelings. He gave into the fiery emotion within, and closed the gap between them with a soft kiss.  
  
A/N WHOO!! About time, too. -_-;; So anyway, please give me a review, ok? The more reviews, the longer next chapter's gonna be! ^_^ And for you Bakura/Ryou fans out there, next chapter's gonna be yummy too! I think. O.o Either next chapter or the one after that.... ^_^;;;;; 


	8. Love Makes No Promises

A/N Thanks for all the reviews! ^_^ And also thanks to all the people who added me to their favorites. YOU ALL ROCK! ^____________^  
  
Anywho, I promised this chapter would be long, so it is! A WHOLE TWO PAGES longer than usual. Lol. From 4 pages to 6. I feel so proud. *wipes tears*  
  
Anyway, on with the chapter. Please read and review. -^____^-  
  
OH! And I used this song by someone I can't remember...and there is the obvious absence of Ryou/Bakura fluff that I promised. Sorry! I guess it'll have to come next chapter. But as you can see, my exact words were "Either next chapter or the one after that" so I didn't technically break a promise. Lol.  
  
I am so mad at the YuGiOh dubbers. GEEZ! Do you know what they made Ryou say?!  
  
Dubbed Ryou: *clutching his arm* *in an English accent* Yugi! Help me! I don't feel well. I don't feel well at all. I must go to a hospital to lie down.  
  
How stupid is that?! .  
  
----------------Anyway, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ^_^---------------  
  
~*~Chapter 8~*~  
  
~*~ Love makes no promises  
  
If you only knew what I've been going through ~*~  
  
Yugi's eyes widened as Yami's lips brushed against his, but then closed them softly, giving in to the warm, tingly sensation. He could feel the tangible warmth flow from the taller tri-color haired teen into him and it made the heat rise to his cheeks, giving them a beautiful rose-colored tint. Yugi felt himself get light-headed, the sheer feeling of Yami being so close giving him shivers down his spine.  
  
~*~ Could this be love? ~*~  
  
Yami's mind slowly began to go back into focus, and as his crimson eyes flickered open, he suddenly pulled back, startled at his bold action. He felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment as he turned away from the little one who still sat, leaning a little forward, his lips still slightly parted.  
  
~*~How, tell me, how will I know?  
  
Will my heart make believe it's so? ~*~  
  
Yugi looked at Yami in a sort of daze, his violet eyes large in confusion. Yami still turned away, his heart beating faster than ever. He had just kissed Yugi. But was that a good thing? He could feel Yugi's eyes on him and it made him more uncomfortable as he shifted nervously. An unearthly silent fell upon the room, both teens not knowing when to break the deadly quiet.  
  
~*~ Or can I trust the way I feel?  
  
If you could read my mind. ~*~  
  
'Say something, damnit!' Yami thought, digging his fingers into the denim cloth of his jeans tensely. He was too amazed at his own temerity to even make eye contact with the other teen.  
Yugi brought a shaking finger up to his lips where the soft, delicate feeling of Yami's lips lingered. He stared in uncertainty, not knowing if this was some kind of dream.  
~*~If you only love me in my dreams, then let me sleep forever~*~ Or was Yami was actually returning long kept emotions. But he flinched as another possibility crossed his mind. What if this was some kind of cruel, practical joke meant to devastate him entirely?  
  
~*~You see how hard I've tried  
  
Still I can't decide~*~  
  
The tri-color haired teen looked at Yugi from the corner of his eyes, watching as the ill youth touched his lips in disbelief and then visibly cringed. 'Shit.' Yami cursed to himself. He should have known better than to do something so stupid like that. He had just crossed the line of friendship and there was no way he could just go back. Not only was Yami bewildered with a foreign set of emotions, but he had just made a huge fool of himself.  
  
~*~ If you only knew what I've been going through  
  
Waiting and wanting you~*~  
  
Standing up quickly, Yami strode towards the door.  
"...Yami?" Yugi whispered after him.  
"I need to go."  
  
~*~Could this be love?  
  
Oh, tell me, could this be love?~*~  
  
***  
  
"Ryou! When you're done with your homework, you need to pick up some groceries!" Ryou's dad said, watching as his son climbed the stairs towards his bedroom.  
"OK!" Ryou shouted back down, before sitting down with a plop. His text books were spread about and he had a pencil in hand, poised to begin homework. So he opened his English text book and began to do grammar exercises. The first question: The baker loves to sell bread. Write the subject on the line.  
Ryou stared at the question, and then wrote on the line in neat handwriting. 'Bakura.'  
  
~*~Do you know if it's true-  
  
That real love lasts a lifetime?~*~  
  
The white-haired teen did a double-take and then grabbed frantically at his eraser, messily rubbing out the name. Heaving a troublesome sigh, Ryou laid his head on his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. 'Just forget about him.' But it was so much easier said than done.  
  
~*~ Does it shine like the stars up in the sky  
  
And do you know if you can fall for just a moment? ~*~  
  
***  
  
Bakura came home, dumping his backpack carelessly to the side. Stripping off his gloves and heavy jacket, the white-haired teen hit the play-back button on his answering machine. He then lay sprawled on his messy bed, his face pressed deep within the cool fabric of his pillow.  
The message played, "Hey, Bakura? It's me..."  
Bakura perked up at the voice; it was Yami.  
"I did the stupidest thing today. Why am I such a dumbass?.........Well, I guess you're not home, then....bye."  
The white-haired teen sat up with a groan. It was 3:30. What could Yami have possibly done in the last half hour that was so horrible? Groping under the bed for his gloves, he pulled them on as well as his discarded jacket. He went down the stairs and out the door, headed towards Yami's house. He had a feeling it was something to do with Yugi.  
  
***  
  
~*~Is a moment for all time?  
  
Why, why am I so unsure~*~  
  
As the last, golden rays of the sun drifted off into the distance, Yami shut his eyes painfully, his lightly tanned skin giving off a radiant glow in the pale sunlight. He leaned against the trunk of a weeping willow, looking through a curtain of bare, drooping branches. In front of him lay a quiet lake, starting to freeze over due to the cold temperature. Snow had not yet begun to fall, and Yami looked to the lake. It was freezing unevenly, the jagged pieces of ice reminding him of the reason he was here in the first place. Inside, he felt like a puzzle. But no matter how hard he tried, the jagged pieces of his life just wouldn't fit together.  
  
~*~ Is that love knocking at my door?  
  
Or the sound of my beating heart~*~  
  
At first, he thought to discuss things with Bakura. But the white- haired teen had problems of his own as well and it was no use bothering him time after time. So here Yami sat, breathing in the cool, crisp, winter air, his mind filled of nothing except Yugi. The odd feeling that had grown in Yami's heart was beginning to make itself known. But he wasn't so sure if he wanted to know. What *was* the feeling inside that made it so damn hard to breathe every time Yugi was near?  
  
~*~ If you could read my mind  
  
You know I just can't hide  
  
What I feel inside~*~  
  
***  
Bakura walked down the busy street, still headed towards Yami's house. He plodded down the street, his hands shoved into his pocket. Luckily, the two did not live far from each other. While turning the corner, Bakura suddenly bumped into someone, causing the other person to land, with a soft thump, onto the hard pavement.  
"Sorry," Bakura muttered, offering a hand, "I didn't see-" Bakura froze. He had bumped into the last person he would have guessed to see.  
  
~*~ If you only knew, what I've been going through  
  
Waiting and wanting you~*~  
  
Ryou's eyes widened as he looked up at Bakura. "No, it was my fault," he said hastily, gathering up the fallen groceries. "I'm kind of in a hurry," he explained, taking off quickly in the opposite direction.  
Bakura turned as if to follow, but then hesitated. He had come to see Yami. And, he thought guiltily, his best friend was more important. Taking one last look at Ryou as he rounded the corner, he walked up the steps to Yami's front door.  
  
~*~ Could this be love?  
  
Oh, tell me, could this be love? ~*~  
  
Ringing the doorbell, the white-haired teen paused, waiting for the familiar footsteps. But there were none.  
"YAMI!" Bakura shouted, taking a step back to see if his friend had his head poked out through the window. But there were no lights on in the house and there was no sign of Yami. Scowling, Bakura glared daggers at the house. He had missed Ryou again. This time, for no reason.  
  
***  
  
Yami sighed, exiting the park. It was getting late and he felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. As he strode down the street, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the foot of the wall. It was Ryou, panting heavily as if he had just escaped certain doom.  
"Hey, Ryou," Yami said tiredly.  
Ryou looked up, and smiled. It was just Yami...  
"Hi." The white-haired teen said, pausing. To make conversation, he asked, "You went to see Yugi today, right?"  
Yami's expression suddenly grew grim. He had known about Yugi's future for days now, but the news still hurt, long after it had revealed itself. The tri-color haired teen looked away nervously, his eyebrows knitting together with concern. "Umm...."  
Ryou frowned at Yami's odd behavior. "Did something happen?"  
Yami faltered for a moment. So *many* things happened today....  
"What's wrong? Tell me!" Ryou said worriedly, stepping forward. He sensed the hesitation and hurt in the tri-color haired teen and was getting more and more tense as time dragged on. What wasn't Yami telling him?!  
Yami paused. Was it even his place to tell Ryou? But Ryou and Yugi *were* best friends... Yugi didn't want to tell anyone, afraid that he would cause others pain because of his own problems. But Ryou had a right to know....  
"In a few days, Yugi...might...not be here anymore..." Yami couldn't even bring himself to say 'die'. Instead, he looked away, unable to do anything else.  
The white-haired teen stood still for a while, speechless. Then, suddenly, his eyes began to well up in tears, his mouth slightly open.  
"Why...didn't he tell me?" Ryou said softly, burrowing his face into his hands.  
Yami stared at Ryou oddly; he had never seen a guy cry before. Yami took a step closer, patting Ryou awkwardly on the back. "Yugi will be ok..." Yami lied through his teeth, wishing that he had never met Yugi in the first place; then he wouldn't have to fell this pain, he wouldn't have to feel these strange emotions, he wouldn't have the urge to fall to his knees and just stop trying...  
"HE WON'T BE ALRIGHT!" Ryou shouted, falling forward to lean against Yami's chest, tears beginning to drop on the leather material of Yami's jacket.  
The tri-color haired teen tensed at the sudden contact, but then relaxed, supporting Ryou as he cried.  
  
***  
  
Irritated at Yami's absence, Bakura came back the way he came, turning the corner once more. As he came around, he saw two people in the middle of the sidewalk-Ryou pressed up to his best friend, encircled in a loose embrace.  
  
~*~Love makes no promises ~*~  
  
A/N OH MY GAWD! WHAT THE HELL IS GONNA HAPPEN NOW?! Lol. I feel like this chapter was crap. *CRIES* Was it really as bad as I think it is? I can't even stand to re-read it, so please excuse grammar and spelling mistakes. T_T  
  
I underestimated how long this chapter would be, so Bakura/Ryou fluff shall be later on. Hahahahaha. I'm such a dork. Promising stuff before I even plan out the chapter...I'm pretty sure its gonna be real soon. SO PLEASE REVIEW! I'm skipping study time to write this. Maybe that's why my math grade is going lower than the hip-hugging leather pants Seto wears when he's flirting with Jou. XD Naw, I'm just kidding. I would've written this fic no matter what. ^_^ 


	9. Now or Never

O____O So many reviews!! Thank you! *glomps* And also thanks to SSCherry Blossom II and for your lovely lyrics.  
  
I love this root beer can! There's Legolas on it. ^^;; I will forever treasure this can. *huggles it*  
  
Sorry it's been forever since I've updated. .  
  
And by the way! I'm listening to this really cool music by B'z! It's so cool!!!!! I think I'm addicted to j-pop. Lol. ^____^; I wish I had more of their songs. -,-  
  
(if you pay really close attention to this fic, you can tell I rushed the last part) LOL!!! Sorry!!!!! T______T  
  
Please read and review! And if you don't, I'll be forced to tell bad knock- knock jokes. XD!  
  
~*~Chapter 9~*~  
  
Bakura stared for a moment, his eyebrows contorting in a confused, hurt look. He stood still, as if frozen in time, his gaze traveling slowly to Ryou's face. And, sensing another's presence, Ryou turned as well. Trembling pools of warm chocolate met with deep chestnut.  
"Bakura?" Ryou whispered, taking a step away from Yami, who also looked to where Bakura stood.  
Bakura's smoldering, brown eyes darkened slightly as he turned away, moving quickly down the street.  
"Wait!" Ryou called after him, breaking into a fast-paced sprint, his sneakers thudding hard on the pavement, echoing the sound of his own beating heart.  
Yami watched, slightly confused, as both white-haired teens disappeared around the corner.  
  
***  
"I said 'wait'!" Ryou yelled, clasping his hand over Bakura's shoulder, causing the taller of the two to come to a stop. Bakura turned to face the other white-haired teen.  
"What?" he asked softly.  
"Um...about earlier...." Ryou started, "I just...Yami and I weren't doing anything." He looked up at Bakura, a soft blush gracing his cheeks.  
  
"I know that."  
"You...do?"  
"Yeah...." Deep in his heart, Bakura knew his best friend would never do anything behind his back like that. "But what were you two talking about that made you so sad?"  
The relieved smile on Ryou's face suddenly disappeared. "...I just found out about Yugi....and..." Crystalline tears began to fill Ryou's eyes. "I....I...."  
Ryou was unable to finish his sentence. Instead, he wiped in vain at the tears that had collected in the corner of his eyes....  
The sun was setting behind them, bathing both teens in a warm, lemony glow. The contrasts of light and dark played with the shadows on Ryou's face, his tears reflecting the light as they trembled in his eyes. A soft breeze blew through the trees, the sound of rustling leaves breaking the crystal silence.  
"I'm sorry...about Yugi..." Bakura finally murmured, already knowing full well what Ryou was referring to. He moved closer to Ryou, putting his arms around the smaller teen.  
Ryou looked up startled, their eyes meeting once again. "Wait....I..."  
Bakura cut him off by slowly lowering his head, gently kissing away his tears. "Please don't cry."  
Ryou gasped softly at the delicate touch. "Bakura..."  
Bakura pressed his index finger against the other's lips. "Shhhhh....Let me see your beautiful smile."  
Ryou blushed deeply, a small smile gracing his features.  
"There we go...." Bakura said, tucking a lock of Ryou's hair behind his ear. "You're always so beautiful when you smile."  
He bent over, placing a soft kiss on Ryou's lips just as the sun disappeared behind the hills, the last brilliant rays of gold streaming in through the trees, streaks of crimson splashing into the azure sky.  
  
***  
  
Yami flopped tiredly onto his bed, turning on his back so he could stare blankly at the ceiling. No matter what he did, he could not get Yugi out of his head. The frightened look on Yugi's face, the way the little one touched his lips and flinched...  
He didn't mean to hurt Yugi....  
Yami ran his hands through his hair in frustration, tugging lightly on his golden bangs. Why did he have to go and screw things up? He took a perfectly good friendship and crossed the line by following his stupid emotions...  
'I'm falling for him...'  
Yami's heart began to beat faster. The feelings he always got whenever Yugi was there...the emotions that caused a constant battle within...the way he felt when Yugi flashed his soft smile...the way he could get lost in the little one's mesmerizing, violet eyes....  
Shaking his head stubbornly, Yami leapt up from the bed, walking out onto the terrace where a light breeze was making the white curtains billow softly. Leaning against the rail, he let out a deep sigh. It was no use denying it...he had fallen for Yugi. And fallen hard.  
  
***  
  
Sugoroku came into Yugi's hospital room for what must have been the tenth time today. He watched with sad eyes as he saw that his grandson had still not awakened yet. He stared at his watch. It was already three in the afternoon. It was a gloomy day; it was snowing outside and the glass of the windows were covered in a delicate frost, distorting the reflection of the elderly man standing over his sick grandson.  
Ever since Yugi had arrived at the hospital, Sugoroku knew Yugi was getting weaker..but now his grandson could barely stay awake for long periods of time. He had not noticed at first, but besides being overly exhausted, Yugi had begun to slip in and out of consciousness. And this was alarming Sugaroku to no ends.  
A knock on the door broke the elderly man out of his reverie and he turned to see a sheepish looking Yami poke his head through the door.  
"Hello, Mr. Motou," he said with a slight bow.  
"Hello, Yami. Yugi's not awake right now, so..."  
"That's ok," the tri-color haired teen said, stepping fully inside. "I just wanted to talk to him alone...even if he isn't awake."  
Sugoroku raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. He walked past Yami and out the door.  
Upon hearing the door slam shut, Yugi began to stir and mumbled, "Grandpa?"  
"Uhhh....no, its me..." Yami said uneasily, walking over to the bed.  
"Y-Yami?" Yugi stuttered, now somewhat awake, propping himself up on his elbows. He looked paler than the last time Yami had seen him.....  
"Yeah...look, I'm sorry about yesterday..." the taller of the two said quietly.  
A light blush came across Yugi's face. "You don't have to apologize...I..."  
"No, really. It was...an accident...." Yami lied, covering up for himself. Inwardly, Yami flinched. He didn't mean for it to come out like that....  
"Oh...." Yugi sighed, disappointment overwhelming him. He lay back down against the bed, suddenly tired again. He closed his eyes for a moment. 'It was just an accident...' But even if it was an accident....it didn't change what Yugi was feeling for Yami...it didn't change what was in his heart.  
"I had a dream...." Yugi said softly, his eyes still closed.  
"Uhh...ok...." Yami said, the random change in topics catching him off guard. Was this Yugi's way of forgiving him?  
Yugi continued, "In my dream...I didn't have cancer anymore ...and Coach let me play football again."  
Yami couldn't help but smile faintly. "So it was a good dream, then."  
Yugi slowly shook his head from left to right, finally opening his eyes. "No...something was missing."  
Yugi knew he was dying. It was only a matter of days.... 'I have to tell him...It's now or never.' The little one's eyes regained some of their enchanting sparkled as tears formed along the side. He turned his face to Yami, a crystalline tear trailing down one cheek. "The one thing missing...was you."  
  
A/N Please review? Thank you so much....this chapter was one of the hardest things I ever had to write and reviews would make it so worth all the hair-pulling. ^_^; I think I'm half bald now. Hahaha.  
  
Oh my god...I just realized that Yugi's down to two days. O_o;; 


	10. Please Don't Say Goodbye

A/N Happy Halloween, you guys!!!! Ok, I am SO sorry for the crappy chapter last time. I promise it won't happen again. ^^;  
  
Ok, well...This chapter is good. (I hope.) ^^;;  
  
Anyway, please read and review. Thank you.  
  
OHH!! And stuff in ~*~ blah ~*~ form is a memory. ^_^ just an FYI  
  
~*~Chapter Ten~*~  
  
"The one thing missing...was you."  
Yami's heart skipped a beat, almost choking on the swelling emotion swirling through his chest. "...Yugi?"  
Yugi gave a tired sigh of relief and sank lower into the soft, white pillow. He had finally told Yami what he had been feeling inside his heart for so long; he put it all out in the open. There was no turning back now.  
  
Yami's deep crimson eyes searched the little one's confusedly. "...Yugi....you-"  
Sugoroku suddenly came in, interrupting the two's silent inner struggle of mind over heart.  
"Yami, may I speak to you for a moment?" he asked hastily.  
The tri-color hair teen turned around awkwardly. "Uh...sure..."  
  
***  
The two left Yugi's room, shutting the door quietly behind them. Yami uncertainly followed the elderly man all the way to the end of the hall, near the front desk. There, Sugoroku stopped, and turned to face the tri-color haired teen.  
"Yami...don't."  
"...excuse me?" the tri-color haired teen asked confused.  
"He's already been through so much. Don't make it worse."  
"Wait...what?"  
Sugoroku sighed deeply, placing a heavy hand over Yami's shoulder. "I overheard you two talking....But whatever you do, don't go back in there. His body is fading, Yami. Don't do the same to his heart."  
Yami stared at the elderly man incredulously. "But-"  
"Don't argue with-"  
"No, you don't-"  
"Can't you see that-"  
"Yugi is-"  
"YUGI IS DYING!" Sugoroku roared, the echoes reverberating through the narrow, tiled hallway. The nurses who were traveling busily in the halls came to a halt to stare. The white-haired man panted heavily, angry tears forming in his tired eyes. "Don't play around with his feelings.... Yugi is dying. Don't hurt him more than he already is."  
  
***  
  
Yami stood alone, outside Yugi's door, an inner battle raging as if there was no tomorrow. Never had he felt his heart ache this way. He reached for the doorknob, but then quickly brought it back.  
  
~*~'Don't play with his feelings. His body is fading, Yami. Don't do the same to his heart.'~*~  
The tri-color haired teen balled up his fists in frustration. Yugi didn't deserve this. Nobody did.  
  
~*~ "Can...can I consider you...as a friend?" Yugi asked shyly, looking away from Yami's face...~*~  
  
Yami bit his lip at the memory, his heart beating painfully in his chest. Why did it have to be this way? Yami leaned back against the wall, bringing his head up to the ceiling; as if to send a silent prayer up to the heavens above. Could he be wrong about this?  
  
~*~"Yami...I wanted to say thank you..." ~*~  
  
Yami's eyes stung for a moment as he slid from the wall to the floor, burying his head into his hands. Yugi....  
The nurses continued their journey through the long hallways, just as Yami searched the endless corridors within himself for the answer to the question that he knew had no right answer.  
  
***  
  
Yugi looked up from his bed as the door opened once moor. And in stepped Yami. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held an emotion that scared Yugi. It chilled him from the core. 'Oh my God....'  
The taller of the two walked over to the side of the bed, still silent.  
"...Yami..."  
Yami flinched at the sound of his name coming from those sweet lips. 'I can't believe it's ending this way.' A wave of guilt swept up against him, making him falter as he searched for the right words.  
Finding he was unable to say anything, Yami's hand found Yugi's soft, pale ones instead, allowing their fingers to intertwine. It was like a spark traveling from one to the other, reveling in the feeling of their touch.  
Yugi fought for breath as the softest blush spread across his cheeks. And then, their eyes met..... Sparkling violet with intense crimson. Yugi's eyes trembled in uncertainty as he became lost in the crimson orbs that burned with a hurt, pained emotion. The little one could almost see into the other's soul....  
Yami smiled softly, using his other hand to tuck a strand of Yugi's hair behind his ear. 'I can't do this...'  
"Yami ..."  
Yami let out a soft sigh, his eyes becoming shiny as tears formed behind his eyes. "I'm sorry, Yugi." He finally spoke.  
He leaned over, placing a soft, brushing kiss on Yugi's forehead, almost immediately pulling back. "I can't stay here with you."  
Yugi gaped in panic as the other tri-color haired teen released his hand, retracting slowly so that their hands still touched for the briefest moment.  
"...wait....I don't understand." Yugi choked out, looking up at Yami.  
"I can't be just your friend anymore."  
Each word was like a dagger through both their hearts.  
Tears began pooling in Yugi's eyes. "But-"  
Yami stood up and turned to go. Inside, he was hurting more than he ever thought possible. 'It's for Yugi's own good....'  
"Yami! Wait!"  
The said teen paused near the door, his voice wavering. "I'm sorry....I'm really sorry Yugi. I didn't think it was going to be like this."  
Yugi fought back his tears in vain; they cascaded down his face like the snow that was now pouring from the velvet sky.  
"Yami! Please, wait!" Yugi reached out a shaking hand as if to stop the other teen.  
Yami showed no signs of stopping.  
Yugi's eyebrows contorted in the feeling of intense pain, hurt, and infinite desolation. 'No.....no....this can't be happening..'  
It took everything Yami had in him to make it to the door. With an icy cold hand, he reached for the door knob.  
"YAMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yugi cried, unable to contain his emotions any longer.  
The door slammed shut.  
Yugi slowly brought his outstretched hand to his chest and broke down in sobs, his tears staining the thin material of his blanket.  
  
A/N Ok, yeah. You guys thought it was lame, didn't you!? -________-  
  
Please read and review! Ohh!! And I drew a picture of Bakura dressing up as Inuyasha. If u wanna see, the link is the deviantart one in my profile thing. ^_^ 


	11. Raining Inside My Heart

A/N I'm really sorry it took me so long to update.  
  
Im soooo depressed. I got my first flame. But I guess I shouldn't let it get to me.  
  
In case I haven't mentioned before, I really appreciate every single review I get, whether it's good or bad. Thank you so much for spending the time to tell me what you thought.  
  
Here is the next chapter. Thanks for reading. And I apologize for how short it is. Eh-heh. ^_^;;;;; Please don't hurt me. T-T  
  
~*~Ch: 11 Raining Inside My Heart~*~  
  
~*~ I don't want to run away But I can't take it, I don't understand  
  
If I'm not made for you Then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
  
Is there any way that I Can stay in your arms? ~*~  
  
Yami softly shut the door behind him, only to come face to face with Yugi's grandfather.  
After a moments silence, the tri-color haired teen muttered, "I did it, ok?"  
The elderly man stayed in front of the teen, pausing as if looking for the right words to say something that had to be spoken. "Yugi can barely stay conscious... let alone confess any hidden emotions."  
The tri-color haired teen made a low sound in his throat. He didn't need anyone telling him about Yugi. He didn't need anybody telling him why it was wrong and what was right. He didn't need any of this shit. Yami turned to leave. He wanted to get as far away as possible from it all.  
As he turned around, a hand clasped his shoulder bringing him to a halt.  
"And if he truly did love you...could you swear to me, right now, that you would love him back? That you would never make him cry? That you wouldn't break his heart?" The old man's voice began to waver.  
His hand squeezed Yami's shoulder as he whispered, "I don't think you could promise that."  
  
***  
  
~*~If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?  
  
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?  
  
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all? ~*~  
  
Yugi sat up in his bed, tear after tear burning a wet track down his cheeks. His gaze still lingered upon the door, his whole body aching, begging for Yami to come back; to say that it was all a misunderstanding; for Yami to gather him into his arms and never let go.  
But that was impossible.  
Yugi closed his eyes, leaning back into the temporary comfort of his hospital bed. Tears continued to leak out, one by one, even though his eyes were closed.  
  
~*~I don't know why you're so far away  
  
But I know that this much is true... And I wish that you could be the one I die with  
  
I hope I love you all my life~*~  
  
'I can't be just your friend anymore.'  
Why would Yami say that?  
Countless questions whirled in his mind, emotions blurring and mingling together in a giant storm of pain and heartache.  
Slowly, the trickle of tears began to subside as the now familiar darkness was starting to encroach on the little one's vision. He hadn't realized how tired he was...  
But little by little, his surroundings began to dim until they turned pitch black altogether. Yugi's body went limp on the sheets, sliding back into well-known territory, slipping into unconsciousness.  
He now appeared calm on the outside, as if in a deep sleep. But it was raining deep inside his heart.  
  
***  
  
Bakura finally broke the kiss, his lips still lingering on Ryou's who's eyes slowly fluttered open. They stood in silence, their soft pants slowly giving way.  
The taller of the two smiled, cupping Ryou's face with one hand. "You had me worried for a minute..."  
Ryou clasped Bakura's hand in his, leaning into the touch. "Bakura?"  
Bakura held Ryou in his arms, giving him a little squeeze. "Yeah?"  
"Could you...come with me to visit Yugi?" Ryou asked shyly, turning to look at the other teen with his large, doe-brown eyes. "I was planning on heading over there, but we..."  
A soft blush covered Ryou's face.  
"Yugi? Uh...ok..." Bakura agreed, his thoughts suddenly on Yami. 'I wonder what happened between them...'  
  
~*~'Cause I miss you, Body and soul so strong That it takes my breath away  
  
And I breathe you Into my heart and pray for the strength To stand today.~*~  
  
***  
  
Yami stood in his room at the foot of his bed. He was numb inside, his mind refusing to function, to focus on the fact that Yugi was gone from his life now.  
Slowly, the tri-color haired teen collapsed to his knees and onto the bed, his face burying into the soft material.  
In the end, WAS it better to have loved and had lost than to never have loved at all? No...of course not...it was better this way. Right?  
But if so...why did he feel so empty inside? A dark hole was making manifesting itself in the deepest chamber of Yami's heart, forcefully bringing Yami out of his blank reverie, a single image burned into the walls of his mind.....  
A single tear made its way out of his eye, trickling down the side of his cheek.  
The first time he had cried in years.  
  
~*~If I don't need you Then why am I crying on my bed?  
  
If I don't need you Then why does your name resound in my head?  
  
If you're not for me Then why does this distance maim my life?~*  
  
~*~ 'Cause I love you, Whether it's wrong or right  
  
And though I can't be with you tonight  
  
And know my heart is by your side~*~  
  
A/N I hoped you enjoyed. Sorry for the shortness, but I really felt like updating. Please review. 


	12. Never Had A Dream Come True

A/N Do I still have reviewers out there? ^_^;; I am SO sorry this chapter took me a long time...I just needed a while to sort things out with school and fanart and such. I was really afraid if I took you long, you guys would lose interest and stop reading. U_U Anyway, without further annoying comments from me, here's the next chapter.  
  
Please read and review.  
  
~*~Chapter 12~*~  
  
~*~ Everybody's got somethin'  
  
They had to leave behind  
  
One regret from yesterday  
  
That just seems to grow with time~*~  
  
Bakura and Ryou stepped into the dimly lit hospital room, a steady silence settling in between the two white-haired teens. Yugi lay on the bed, the white sheets wrapped around his thin, frail body as if they were a tangible barrier between this world and the next. Ryou could barely detect the shallow breathing coming from his little friend who looked, now, more deathly pale than ever before.  
".....hey.....Yugi....." Ryou said quietly, looking through sad eyes at the tri-color haired boy. For the first time, Ryou was scared...  
Maybe we should come back later....." Bakura said softly. Although he wasn't very close to Yugi, he was beginning to feel as if he were losing something to....so much had happened...since that day weeks ago...  
Funny how little things can make the biggest difference in your life...  
Ryou frowned slightly, shaking his head. "I want to stay a little bit longer." There were faint tracks of tears still stained on Yugi's face...  
The two remained in silence, watching over the unconscious boy. Both were thinking the same thing, but would never say it aloud...thinking about the fate of the ill youth that lay before them.  
Ryou finally broke, burying his face into his hands. It was killing him to see Yugi like this. His best friend was lying there, awaiting death... and all Ryou could do was SIT there.  
Bakura was about to say something when, suddenly, the heart moniter near Yugi's bed gave one loud, continuous beep, startling both boys.   
"Oh my god! YUGI!"   
The undulating red waves on the machine had stopped, being replaced by a steady red line.  
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP  
The shallow breathing had stopped.  
  
~*~There's no use lookin' back or wonderin'  
  
How it could be now or might have been  
  
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways  
  
To let you go~*~  
  
***  
  
Sugoroku stared at the old, worn out book Yugi had given him from two days ago. He had said it was for Yami. The frayed edges of the cover and the bent pages inside merely added to its archaic appearance. But somehow, the elderly man knew that this gift was not what it appeared to be..that, somehow, there was something special about it.  
'But don't give it to him...until after...' Yugi had said, looking up at his grandpa with pleading eyes.  
And he had obliged to his grandson's wishes...  
Sugoroku turned the book over in his hands, the gilded lettering catching the light as his curiosity peaked. He quickly flipped through the pages as a small envelope fell from the book onto the floor.  
The elderly man bent over to pick up the letter and stared at it for a moment. He then replaced the envelope with a sigh, opening his desk drawer to put the book away.  
  
***  
  
Two nurses burst into the room, rushing to Yugi's side, completely ignoring the two startled teens.  
"...is...is Y-yugi gonna be ok?........." Ryou stuttered dumbly, sheer panic starting to flood his mind.  
One nurse stopped to give Ryou a pitying look while the other continued to ignore him, checking the heart moniter to her watch. The seconds ticked by in silence and still, there was no change.  
Bakura didn't know what he was doing; it was instinct. He suddenly bolted from the room with one thought on his mind...  
Ryou watched Bakura leave, somehow knowing where he was going. He turned back to where the two nurses surrounded Yugi.  
One nurse gave a worried look to the other...  
Ryou began to cry.  
  
~*~I never had a dream come true  
  
Till the day that I found you  
  
Even though I pretend that I've moved on  
  
You'll always be my baby ~*~  
  
***  
  
Bakura drove towards Yami's house, breaking at least three traffic laws on the way there. His mind was blank except for one thing standing out: Yugi needed Yami. The white-haired teen hit the breaks as soon as Yami's house came into view, the tires skidding along the pavement in a 180 degree turn.  
He rushed up to the front door, violently ringing the doorbell.  
Upstairs, Yami jerked up from his position on the bed. He buried his hands into the blankets again, ignoring the ringing. 'Go away....'  
Bakura growled in frustration, pounding on the door. "YAMI!"  
Yami didn't move.  
"YAMI!"  
Silence.  
"YAMI! PLEASE! IT'S...IT'S YUGI..."  
The tri-color haired teen straightened up. 'Yugi?'  
  
~*~I never found the words to say  
  
You're the one I think about each day  
  
And I know no matter  
  
Where life takes me to  
  
A part of me will always be with you~*~  
  
Because love is a strange and funny thing  
  
No matter how I try and try  
  
I just can't say goodbye  
  
A/N That was short. -_- Im sorry. I need a break from SAT prepping and C1's. But I'll probably update really soon since its winter break. Please review? They always mean so much to me, even if all you say is "Update soon." 


	13. Never told you I loved you

A/N  
  
IMPORTANT: this link in my profile..Is a great picture of Yami crying...I don't know, this is just a beautiful picture.  
  
To answer a question I got: Just because Yugi's heart stopped beating doesn't mean he's DEAD. My mom works at a hospital, and people come back to life ALL the TIME. Usually they just need a little electrical stimulation to get the heart back to beating normally. *thumbs up*  
  
Another question I got: I hope you understood this before, but Bakura and Ryou are separate people in this fic, as are Yami and Yugi. I don't know how the hell you could not know that, but there's the answer.  
  
Last question to answer: No millennium items in this fic...so no mind links  
  
I thought everyone knew all that already, but OK. ^____^;;;  
  
ANYWAY, on with the chapter. Please read and review.  
  
~*~Chapter 13~*~  
  
~*~Time, sometimes the time just slips away And you´re left with yesterday Left with the memories I´ll always think of you and smile~*~  
  
"CLEAR!"  
Dr. Kotana pressed a pair of shiny, iron defibrillators to Yugi's chest, sending a sudden jolt through his limp body.  
Ryou gasped at the sudden, impulsive movement. Nobody had bothered to tell him to leave, letting him witness everything in horror.  
The doctor paused, panting, watching for any signs of a heartbeat.  
There was none.  
Growling deep within the back of his throat, Dr. Kotana gave the signal to another nurse that he was going to give it another try.  
"CLEAR!"  
  
***  
~*~And be happy for the time I had you with me Though we go our separate ways I won't forget so don´t forget The memories we made~*~  
  
Yami swung the door open, staring at Bakura.  
"What about Yugi?" he asked, trying to cover the panic in his voice.  
"Yugi's not doing so well.... Yami, you've gotta come with me to the hospital. I don't know what the fuck happened back there, but even a dumb- ass like me can see what you two have together. Maybe if you're there...." Bakura trailed off.  
It was as if Yami's heart had stopped beating too. He was rooted to the floor, his crimson eyes widened as waves of panic and fear washing over him. Yugi...wasn't doing so well? What was that supposed to mean!? "I...I...."  
"Yami!"  
Yami had already 'lost' Yugi once....but this time...was it forever? His heart began to beat faster, looking at Bakura. '...All my fault.'  
  
Bakura shook his head, his eyes softening. "Yami...get in the car."  
  
The car ride there was in silence.  
Bakura looked at Yami from the corner of his eyes. The tri-color haired teen seemed to be in dire conflict with himself, an angry but distressing look plastered across his tired face.  
Bakura opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, keeping his eyes glued to the road.  
Yami pressed his forehead against the cool glass window of the car that was slowly being frosted over with snow.  
"You love him, don't you?" Bakura finally spoke.  
It was barely above a whisper, but it seemed to shatter the unbreakable silence surrounding them. Yami inhaled sharply, and turned to look at Bakura.  
The white-haired teen remained focused ahead. "We're almost there."  
  
***  
Bakura and Yami rushed up the stairs, stopping in front of the room where Ryou stood crying and Sugoroku sat, deathly pale, looking straight ahead into space.  
Bakura turned to Yami, biting his lip. "Maybe you should go in alone..."  
  
***  
  
Yami stood frozen in the doorway of the hospital room, his eyes slowly falling upon Yugi.  
"I'm sorry...we did everything we could," Dr. Kotana said grimly, stepping outside, followed closely by the nurse who threw a sympathetic look to the tri-color haired teen.  
The doctor's words did not even register.  
  
~*~Sorry I never told you All I wanted to say. And now it's too late to hold you... Cause you've flown away So far away~*~  
  
Yami's deep, crimson eyes glazed over, not willing to believe what was happening. His knees buckled below him as he stumbled closer to the motionless form. "...Yugi?"  
Yugi did not answer. His thin, pale form lay sprawled on a hospital stretcher, a thin sheet covering his body. His bright, warm eyes were closed; shut forever, his pallid lips parted. Yami had a sudden urge to hold Yugi in his arms, one more time...to capture his lips in one final kiss, like in one of those fairy tales where the princess suddenly comes back to life and they live happily ever after.....  
But he couldn't even bring himself to do it.  
Yami's heart beat painfully in his chest, as warm tears began to well up in his eyes. He kneeled by Yugi, suddenly feeling numb and cold. He fumbled clumsily for Yugi's hand, choking back a sob as he found the hand to be icy cold. Giving the limp hand a soft squeeze, he searched Yugi's face desperately, silently begging for him to open his eyes.  
  
~*~Never had I imagined Living without your smile Feeling and knowing you hear me It keeps me alive, alive~*~  
  
Hot tears began to fall from Yami's eyes, unable to hold them back any longer.  
Never again was he going to see Yugi's beautiful smile; his violet, sparkling eyes shining with delight; his sweet voice calling out his name....  
"...come on, Yugi...wake up..." Yami whispered shakily, letting his tears fall onto the sheets. "I...love you..."  
  
~*~And I know you're shining down on me from heaven Like so many friends we've lost along the way And I know eventually we'll be together One sweet day~*~  
  
Every emotion that he ever felt...every thought, every feeling suddenly burst inside him. The guilt...the sorrow...the feeling of heartache that was eating him up from inside, from the innermost chamber of his soul, leaking out from his eyes as his entire world collapsed around him. *Yugi* was his world.  
  
~*~Darling, I never showed you Assumed you'd always be there. And I, I took your presence for granted. But I always cared And I miss the love we shared~*~  
  
Yami buried his face on Yugi's chest, crying like never before. Tear after tear rolled down Yami's cheeks as he sobbed uncontrollably. He had never felt like this before. To have known what love felt like, and to have lost it as soon as it was within his grasp....  
  
~*~Although the sun will never shine the same I'll always look to a brighter day. Lord I know when I lay me down to sleep You will always listen as I pray.~*~  
  
The pain was too great; there was nothing that could be done..... Yami lifted his head up slowly, staring at Yugi's face through his blurred vision. The light that streamed form the window played with the shadows on Yugi's calm face, giving him an almost angelic look.  
That was the last time Yami ever layed eyes on Yugi.  
  
~*~Sorry I never told you All I wanted to say And now it's too late to hold you Cause you've flown away So far away~*~  
  
A/N One more chapter to go. Please review.  
  
My hamster just died this morning...right when I was proofreading this chapter. I'm not joking....I miss him so much...but I can't even bring myself to cry.... 


	14. Last Wish

A/N I want to thank you all so much for reading this story. It's been a while since this fic began, and now it's come to an end. Quotes by Kittynn.  
  
~*~ Chaper 14~*~  
  
The funeral went by in a painful blur of words and colors.  
  
Everybody was already gone.  
  
Except for Yami, who still lingered there in the darkness.  
  
And it had begun to rain..........  
  
Yami stood in the pouring rain, the cold droplets stinging against his skin. They dripped down his face, falling from his bangs that hung in his eyes. The very same eyes that had once glowed with a warm, brilliant crimson, but were now dulled and overcast with a kind of gloom that were there only once before.........  
  
-Daddy, how long will Mommy sleep?  
.........She'll sleep forever.  
-How long is forever?  
Forever is not long at all.  
  
Gone.........forever..................just like before.........  
  
Over the years, his heart hadn't healed. Time had passed, but the pain was still there. And now his heart was being torn apart again, reopening the faded emotions that were so familiar to him.  
  
People kept asking him if he was okay. And every time, he answered 'yes.' But, then again, what was he supposed to say? That he was hurting more than they'd ever know? That he wanted to collapse and cry and scream at the top of his lungs, all at the same time, but instead kept everything inside?  
  
How could they tell, by just looking, that he had lost everything in the world that mattered?  
  
Yami was now drenched through and through, but still, he could not take his eyes off the dreary, gray scene where they had laid Yugi to rest. The rain began to come down harder, splattering off the leaves, off his face, off his body..........  
  
Just when he thought he would break, a soft voice called from behind.  
"Yami."  
The tri-color haired teen whipped around, and stared at Yugi's grandfather.  
Without another word, the elderly man grabbed Yami's hand, and pushed a small, worn out book into his palm. And then he left, disappearing into the curtains of rain.  
Yami slowly looked down to the book already covered in little droplets of water.  
  
***  
In the shelter of his car, Yami slowly opened the book to where a bookmark had been placed. It was a book of quotes.........  
  
The whole page was filled with words blending together in a mass of black and white. In the middle of the page, three lines were underlined.  
  
"As the falling snow floats softly to the ground and the thundering rain starts to pour, you fill my heart with a warmth that can never go away."  
  
Right beneath the quote, scrawled in neat handwriting were the words  
".........You made my last wish came true........."  
  
Tears starting to form in his eyes, Yami looked up to the slowly- clearing sky. A soft, shimmering rainbow was forming against the light sky.  
  
A promise of things to come. 


End file.
